naturalmel

Aisha Tyler on The Talk

2011-10-24T09:00:00.005-04:00

Here's the thing. I've been a little bit annoyed with The Talk since they started their show and then when they went and kicked off Holly and Leah, (I thought) I was finished with them for good. I removed the show from my DVR list and that was the end of that. Then, yesterday, I found out that they just added Aisha Tyler as a permanent member of the the daytime series and I might have to bring them back into the rotation because of it.

As I said, I've been a bit annoyed by the series because I feel a little slighted. I am a 32 year old married professional who likes to join in on the gabfest just as much as the average lady but I feel like the ladies of the view speak specifically to moms and if you haven't noticed, I'm having a little trouble becoming one. The short version of the series description reads: "Celebrity moms discuss their lives and current events" and I feel a little pinch in the arm when I read it. They regularly feature mom bloggers and I wonder why they don't reach out to women bloggers in general. I want to ask Julie and Sarah if they believe the only women who watch the show are moms.

Yes, maybe I am a little overly sensitive about the whole mom subject but I think that even if I weren't currently riding the infertility roller coaster, I would still be turned off by the way the ladies of The Talk seem to speak to a moms only audience. Please - tell me that I just need a chill pill and I'll let it go.

So back to Aisha. I love her. If my girlfriends and I won a contest and got the chance to take one of the co-hosts to lunch, she would win hands down. For this change alone, I will be watching The Talk for at least the next week.

~naturalmel

Too Much Information

2011-03-20T10:39:00.003-04:00

I need to lose weight, I'm workin on it. I want to have a baby - workin on that too. Here's some background information to work with:

When I made the decision to join WW, I knew that it would require a little bit of discipline and a huge commitment. I think that my commitment level needs tweaking. I've been on WW since July - that's 8 months of using the points calculator, 8 months of being a conscious eater and 8 months of paying close attention to me. The problem is, I keep taking what I like to call "unscheduled leave" from WW and then wondering why the scale and I can't be friends.

The first time it happened was during a weekend getaway with friends to the Poconos. I had to have a turkey burger off of the grill and then of course I had to taste one of the hot dogs with the burnt casing (on a whole wheat bun of course, cause that has more fiber) and come on, what's a cookout without a piece of BBQ chicken. So ummm yeah - I didn't lose anything that week. Strangely enough, I didn't gain anything either but I am not paying WW to watch my weight stay the same - it's up to me to make it go down. Since then, there have been a few good weeks and a few more not good enough weeks that all add up to 8 months of life getting in the way. I am very good at not going to my Saturday morning meeting because I don't want to hear the nice ladies at the desk tell me that I, "didn't lose this week" or that I'm, "up point 4 this week" but I really need to get that part of myself in check and face the music no matter what. I need to remind myself that the conscious act of inputting my food intake into the PP calculator is in fact a victory that I can be proud of every week, regardless of what the scale says. Good job Me!

Oh yeah, that whole IVF thing. My DH and I have been TTC for over 4 years and have been diagnosed as infertile due to female factor tubal blockage. In case you aren't familiar with infertility jargon - my insides won't let us concieve a child without a major science project that "oh, by the way" is not covered by our insurance. We are finally both on the same page about the science project called IVF and have chosen a specialist so the only delay at this point is funding and making sure that this here baby factory called my body is in tip top shape. WW is part one toward that goal and increasing my workout regimen is part two.

Too much info for our first get together? Sorry you guys - that's how I get down. I'm either going to to tell you everything or nothing at all - it just depends on how I feel on that day. I hope you stick around for the ride because there are a few things I know for sure and one of those things is that I need your support to help me continue to put me first and everything else second.

Happy Today!

Melissa

Yes to Cucumbers to My Rescue!

2010-10-23T07:48:00.008-04:00

So apparently my hair HATES protein. As promised, I used the Giovanni Smooth as Silk Deep Moisture line to wash, condition and deep condition. How did I feel when I was done? Dry! I have no idea where this moisture that they promised went but, it definitely did not end up in my hair.

Let's start with the shampoo. I worked in a small amount with warm water and didn't really notice anything special about it. I rinsed and then poured on the conditioner and was immediately surprised by how thin it was. I finger detangled before taking out the wide tooth for the real comb through but I'm sorry to say that there was no slip there. I added another big glob to try to add some but nothing. After about 40 minutes I was all combed through so I rinsed with warm water and applied the deep conditioner. I left it on for 20 minutes with heat and rinsed with cool water. My hair did not feel deep conditioned AT ALL. So, I sectioned my hair into four and braided each section, put on a silk scarf and went to sleep.

The next morning, I took off the scarf and my hair was about 95% dry but I could definitely tell it was not happy. Time for a moisture intervention. I ran over to ULTA and picked up a bottle of Yes to Cucumbers (and got a bottle of Yes to Carrots for 1/2 price through their weekly promotion - SCORE!). When I got back home, I jumped in the magic shower and worked in the YTC and I could immediately hear the birds singing and feel the sunshine come back into my world. I combed it through and then rinsed. I let it air dry about 80%, the blow dried on low until it was 100% dry. I 2-strand twisted with Shea moisture and Garnier Fructis Curl Cream and sealed the ends with coconut oil. Whew! I'll share the results later this week!

~naturalmel

12 Days Strong (Kind of...)

2010-10-09T14:15:00.003-04:00

Today marks day number 12 since my last co-wash but I am sorry to say that we will be starting over this evening. As you can see, it doesn't look too bad but the definition is almost completely gone. Honestly, that's OK sometimes but as we all know, if I leave it alone for too long, the detangle session is going to be u.g.l.y.!

So, with that in mind, I gave my inner PJ (product junkie) a fix today and purchased some new goodies from Whole Foods. Tonight after a pre-poo made of coconut milk, olive oil and conditioner, I am going to WASH - yeah, I said it, WASH with Giovanni Smooth as Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo, Condition/Detangle with Giovanni's Deeper Moisture Conditioner and then use Giovanni's Nutrafix Deeper Moisture Conditioner. I chose Giovanni because it's sulfate free and I've hear some great things about it. The deep conditioner has protein in it so I am interested to see how my hair reacts to it. I promise to let you know how it goes. ~naturalmel

9 days and Counting

2010-10-06T19:56:00.010-04:00

And on the 9th day, my hair still looks fabulous! I two strand twisted with Aveda light elements defining whip and a touch of Jane Carter Solution Wrap and Roll on co-washed hair that was about 75% dry and sealed the ends with warm unrefined shea butter. I used JCS Wrap and Roll setting lotion because I have heard good things about it and I am trying to find a product that will give me a little more hold. I left the twists in for 3 days and went for the full on twistout on day 4. Sadly, by the end of day four, the frizzies were in town, but only on the top of my head. This happens to me pretty often and mark my words, I will find a way to control it! So, I decided to retwist that evening even though this goes against my new "let it be" routine. I needed day 5 to be cute becuase I was planning to take a bunch of pics while sightseeing. I applied Shea Moisture Leave in Conditioner to about 15 medium sized twists and slept with a satin bonnet covering them. After unravelling the next morning, I did some shaking and scalp massaging and I was on my way. It didn't look perfect but it worked ina weird textured afro sort of way. That night I pulled it up into a high ponytail and slept with the bonnet again. (Note: I know the bun is terribly uncute but the hubby understands my penchant for great hair - Score!) When I took the high ponytail down on day 6 it looked a little smooshed and blaaaah, so that evening I tried a nifty little recipe/method that I found on CurlyNikki and I used all of the ingredients except for the wax and peppermint. My. Hair. Loves. This. Mix. I was able to let these "new twists" set for the rest of day 6 and then all the way through day 7. When I unravelled on day 8 my hair felt totally moisturized and happy! I rocked a textured fro again that day and again today - the picture above is from today. My goal is to get through two more days before washing again.

Whew~ I'll let you know how it all works out.

So on a totally different note, my brother Kirkie posted this link and I laughed so hard I almost cried. If you dont understand patios, I'm sorry, but you will be thoroughly entertained by the pure emotion displayed by this DIVA! I love her!!

Silence

2010-10-04T12:26:00.005-04:00

A good friend told me that sometimes you have to silence yourself in order to hear what God wants to tell you. I didn't expect God to shake me like a rag doll. Although I'm still waiting for my head to stop bobbing, I have come to the realization that I have a lot of work ahead of me so I better get started today.

Let's start with this here blog. I started it back in April of 2008 with the hopes of sharing information about something that I am totally obsessed with --my hair. Thing is though, that's not the only thing that makes my energizer bunny keep running. The hubs does a really good job of that all by his lonesome ;) and then there's that whole trying to make a baby thing. Oh yeah, and everything else. Blogging in and of itself is way harder than I expected it to be. You have to be really prepared to write. And write. And write a whole bunch more than you ever planned to. Since April 2008, I have not been ready to commit to it. Today, I'm ready.

I'm ready to let you in on our journey to plus one (the never ending work in progress) and give some insight into the prayer, hope, heartbreak and tears and joy that come with it. I thought that silence would be the path of least resistance on this subject but I have since learned that silence, on the subject of infertility, is the path to nowhere. More on that some other time though. I am more than ready to share my thoughts about food and cooking all that other B.Smith/Martha Stewart stuff that I enjoy so much. Now, back to my hair - promise to continue to share info about what I do to it and why, no need to worry.

I am ready for today and whatever is coming tomorrow and every day thereafter.

Thanks for coming back to my house even though I've been a really bad host.

~naturalmel

2009-11-29T18:53:00.003-05:00

Long time, no see, right? Oh well, life happens. The hubby and I are still in MD and loving it. The hair....not loving MD so much this time of year. I have vowed not to use heat until at least the spring time...y'all better hold me to it!

I did a twist out after co-washing with Herbal Essences Totally Twisted, deep conditioning with Neutrogena Deep Conditioning Mask and then used the DevaCurl One Condition as a leave in. I twisted with a little bit of the Deva Curl One Condition and some organic coconut oil.

Loved the results. I will try to post pics this week.

Toodles!

~naturalmel

2009 - the year of greatness

2009-01-01T22:05:00.003-05:00

This year I will learn to play the acustic guitar. I will also post regularly to this fabulous site. I will take advantage of the wonderful opportunities that my employer provides and hopefully increase my wellness factor. I am ready for greatness. You? I thought so. So let's get on with the show.

YES WE DID!!

2008-11-06T20:15:00.001-05:00

See you on January 20, 2009.

That's What She Said

2008-11-02T03:58:00.005-05:00

Wow. Have I really been gone that long? I feel like its only been a couple of weeks and clearly I was way off. So much has changed that I'm not quite sure where to start but how about here: I got a job. Let's try this again. I got a GREAT job working with a very well known non-profit organization. In fact, the hubby and I have moved back up the coast to the Washington DC metro area because of the greatness in this new position (--yes, greatness). My office is 2 blocks from President Obama's new house (If you haven't had the pleasure of voting early, get your ass out there on Tuesday -- Yes WE Can!). I live in the big city now, I am closer to my CT family (especially my parents) and I get to experience the seasons changing again. All in all, I'm ecstatic. Clearly, I will miss my Florida family and the amazing year round summers but sometimes you gotta do what is necessary to get through.

So, let's talk about the fact that within a 1 mile radius of my new place there are 4 natural hair salons. Yes. 4 of them. I have read some reviews online and I've hear good things about 2 of them but you know me and I am really not ready to A.) let someone else wash my hair, or B.) let someone else twist my hair and do only an OK job and charge me a million dollars which will cause severe anger to erupt inside of my soul. So for now, I will continue to experiment with new conditioners and see how my hair really reacts to the climate change. I have been here for a little under 2 months and I have noticed that without the Florida humidity I have to moisturize my scalp more often between co-washes. I've been using my spray bottle with glycerin, lavender and distilled water mix ever night before I tie down my 2 strands. My twist outs maintain their shape even better without so much humidity as well.

I get a lot more "Is that your real hair" comments than I expected since the natural scene is so common around here but we all know I am always happy to share.

More Sharing Later.

R&R in Mexico

2008-08-22T12:44:00.006-04:00

OK so Adrian (my hubby) and I just came back from a much needed vacation in Mexico. We stayed in the Riviera Maya which is about 40 minutes from Cancun. The beach was gorgeous (but a little rocky -- can I get an Amen for the aqua-socks I got us for $3 a pair at Walmart?) the people were friendly and although neither of us speak Spanish we felt right at home! We stayed at The Grand Mayan and it happens to have the the nicest (and biggest) pools that we had ever seen, we spent quite a bit of time splashing around in there! Now you know this natural diva had no reservations about being in the pool and the ocean and the sun for as long as time would allow but you know what else that means...the afro was in need of some TLC before, during and after this fun in the sun excursion. Before I left I used Sunsilk Summer. I found it in the clearance section at Target for under $3 and it smelled yummy. It had coconut oil and sunscreen in it so I figured it would be perfect for the week I had ahead of me. I used it for my normal co-wash and I actually like it better than my Suave and V05, it was worth the extra change. I put in some small 2-strand twists after blowing it out and I was ready for 'la playa'. I kept the twists in up until the day before I left. After getting out of the pool or the ocean I would do a really good rinse and depending on what we were going to do next I would either do a quick blow dry or towel dry the twists (while still intact). On the day I took the twists out, my hair felt unhappy so I decided to try the hotel shampoo-- what the hell?! Why oh why did I do that?? After using that my hair felt like stripped steel wool, SORRY HAIR!!! I quickly saturated my hair with the rest of the Sunsilk Summer that I had left (about 60% of the bottle) and left it on my hair for about 3 hours before combing it out and doing a good rinse. HAPPY HAIR!!

When I got back home I immediately went to Target to try and find another bottle or two of the Sunsilk Summer on the clearance rack but y'all know it was all gone. I found out today that it was actually only a limited edition for the summertime! WAAAAHHH! Anywhoo, I decided to try Aussie Moist since I have heard some good things about it on random message boards. I LOVE IT! First I did an ACV rinse to get the Mexico out and then I put the Aussie Moist on. It has Aloe and Jojoba Oil and I must say my hair feels rejuvenated. It cost me a total of about $3.50...well worth it. It's actually more than worth it!

Give it a try and tell me what you think. And-- If you happen to see Sunsilk Summer at your Target go ahead and get it for me, I'll tell you where to send it! :)

Gone Too Soon...

2008-08-09T12:53:00.004-04:00

Bernie Mac passed away today due to complications from pneumonia at age 50. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. He will definitely be remembered for his ability to tell the truth without cutting corners, lend a helping hand to those who needed it and of course, make us all laugh.

For the bargain price of $10,000.00

2008-07-28T17:52:00.006-04:00

You can send your lovely, well adjusted child to summer camp! Sounds perfect right? If your answer is yes then clearly you are in a different tax bracket than me. I'm sitting quietly getting my daily news fix and I stumble upon this article in the New York Times called "Dear Parents: Please Relax, It's Just Camp" so since I'm intrigued I keep reading. First I am amused when I hear about the $10,000.00 price tag and then amusement turns to disgust when I read about the cell phone junkie parents that "...give their child two cellphones, so if they get caught with the first one, ‘Just give it up and you’ll have the second one to talk..." to them. HUNH??
See, I was under the impression that Sleep Away Camp was supposed to be a time for kids to learn about themselves and the concept of being independent. Come on now. I went to summer camp. I grew up in Connecticut and for those of you who have never been to the North East, its a beautiful place chock full of summer camps. The same sort of summer camps that kids from the big city come to for the Fresh Air Fund. Have you ever seen the Parent Trap Movie? Either the 1998 version of the 1968 one will do here, that's summer camp. Its the first and only place that I had the chance to swim in a lake (not trying that down here in FL, those gators ain't playin), the first place I found out about an ORT Report (one year we got ours down from 7lbs to 11 oz. within the first 3 days --- wow, the power of the mob mentality at its finest) and the place where I learned what a nice feeling it is to see your parents again after an extended time period without them, and I promise, it surely didn't cost anywhere close to 10k.

I feel like the parents in the story aren't giving themselves enough credit. Although the cell phone is probably the best new invention I can think of, we have all clearly become too attached to it. Just because you can call your child every hour on the hour while she is at camp does not mean its a good idea. If you are shelling out 10 grand it means that summer camp is not a necessity and while you could probably use that 10k to go on a family trip to Toronto or somewhere equally as fabulous, the fact is that you chose to send them to summer camp. Whether it was in an effort to get them out of the house or it was to let them experience camp the way you did when you were little (or the way you wished you could have when you were little) the idea is shattered if you call the camp every morning to check on them. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who hates micro-managers -- this right here is the equivalent. Just chillax and let them be.

No, I don't have any kids, so maybe I will not fully understand until I do but really I think I'm right on track with this one. Camp is the same as it ever was and if you trust these people enough to leave your kids there for an extended period of time them you should let the staff do their job, not babysit you -- the parent.

Full circle here. One time, at Gymnastics Camp...I was dressed up like Diana Ross (it was not a summer thing, it was the Halloween Weekend Slumber Party -- I was 8 years old) and mom had taken me to get my hair pressed for the first time so I could pull off the Diana diva hair. My hair was cascading down my back (yes I was swingin it -- HARD) and I had on my black leotard, black stockings, black ballet slippers and this long flowy black and silver sparkly skirt. I pranced around the gym for the costume parade, I ran to the pizza room, I zig-zagged through the maze and won a prize. We got into our sleeping bags and fell asleep watching An American Tail (awww, Fivel...). Lo and behold when I woke up the next morning, my hair made me cry. I had absolutely no idea why my long straight hair with the spiral curls from the night before had become this large half afro, half frizz mess. When Mom and my big brother came to pick me up the next morning my mom immediately knew the reason for my tears. "Honey," she began, "Our hair is different than your friends' hair. Your hair will only stay straight if you don't get it wet or you don't "sweat it out". It looks like you "sweat it out". **

Ummm, "sweat it out"? Now that sounded like some B.S. but after looking in the mirror, I knew right then that I would have to alter my fun activities to deal with my hair. And I did, for long, looooong time. But now. My hair is natural. It does what I do...whenever I want to do it.

** just a quick shout out to mom for not yelling at me (I know she dropped at least $25.00 fo rthe press and curl that I went and sweat out running around the gym that night) and just using it as a teaching moment about the trials and tribulations of our hair. Yea Mom! love ya!

Robin, We Love You!!!

2008-07-25T12:04:00.006-04:00

Ever since Robin Roberts announced that she was fighting Breast Cancer I have found myself tuning into GMA to watch her more often than ever before. For whatever reason, that's just not my go-to show in the morning but like I said, I've been checking her out. I LOVE her short natural and I hope she keeps it that way forever. She looks so much younger than before. I see so many black women with short naturals, some of whom were forced into it because of Cancer treatments, but regardless off why, I want to run and tell them how beautiful they look. We get to get a true look at our high cheekbones and our beautiful lips and most of all our beautiful skin!

I hope all of us naturals can inspire more and more women to embrace their natural hair texture as it is. Not just Black women but all of us who think something is wrong with us unless we manipulate the natural way our hair looks when it grows out of our scalp. "Oh, its too wavy", "Oh, its too curly", Oh, its too -- insert adjective here" You will be amazed at how happy your hair will become when you work with it instead of against it! I promise! I speak from experience!!

need a "FEEL GOOD" moment??

2008-07-14T12:38:00.005-04:00

then read this book. Last week I was having a case of the blah's and this book picked me right back up. I was lurking on the carols daughter website and noticed that YIPPIE, they now carry her products at my local Sephora (I no longer have to worry about shipping costs or favors from a fabulous friend) then, I clicked on the gifts page and there's this book with Ms. CD on the cover. I knew that I wanted to read it right away so I immediately checked my local library catalog online....wouldn't you know the only library within like 80 miles that has it is the a small adjunct branch in a tiny section of Tampa. No problemo. I decide this will probably be way worth the gas money (yes, that's how I decide whether or not I am going anywhere these days...only other option is the bike or the sneakers...) I drive the 40 miles round trip (that's Florida for you), get back home and no joke I opened the book at around 4:00 PM and finished the last page around 9 or 10PM. I couldn't stop reading it until I was done. She tells her story in such a way that you feel like she is your long lost sister...at least I did. There are recipes for food and bath and skin. There are stories that will remind you about who you really are and there is what I can only imagine is the authentic Lisa Price. Thank you for the inspiration Lisa Price....I feel better than I have in a minute because I know that the only option is success.

I'm gonna buy a copy for my personal library, you should too!

She Ain't My Daughter but...

2008-06-25T18:55:00.009-04:00

Damn if I'm not gonna love her like she is. I'm actually talking about Carol's Daughter. Holy Hell, I'm in love.

My hair was not in dire need of a wash today (I could have gone another 5 days at least) but since the conditioner came in the mail today I couldn't wait any longer. The shampoo had been staring at me since last week (Lisa sent it to me, it came on her birthday -- what a great friend right? I gotta send her something soon) It's the Rosemary Mint Shampoo w/Sea Moss and the smell alone made me want to shampoo again. I explained before that I really try to stay away from shampoo since in general its so harsh but this stuff really is not heavy on the chemicals so after doing my normal conditioner wash routine with some Suave Coconut Conditioner and combing out my twists NOTE: whenever I wash my hair, I divide it into 4 sections and then secure each one with a cloth elastic. Then I put the conditioner onto each section one at a time and then finally comb through each section with a pick and rinse. I never leave it all free ball while I'm trying to comb through. Ever. Cloth elastics are your friends. Use them. After I was done with my normal routine and I had combed through each section once, I worked a small amount of the Rosemary Mint onto each section and worked the suds from the roots to the tips. The rosemary and peppermint essential oils are calming and invigorating at the same time. The smell is perfect. After rinsing it out, my hair didn't feel like it had been stripped down to the core, it actually felt pretty normal.

I put it into four braids and applied the Tui Hair Oil and let it sit for a few minutes before combing through the Black Vanilla Leave in Conditioner. Technically I guess I was supposed to rinse out the Oil but it wasn't really a hot oil treatment so I think Ill be fine. Really. Here's where the like turned into love. I've used other leave in conditioners but this stuff actually made my hair easier to comb through. I'm not willing to say that straight up natural virgin Black people hair is unmanageable, however, its clearly harder to comb through than your average white person's hair. Its also harder to comb through than most mixed people's hair. We have to work a little harder at it that's all, but when I sprayed on the Black Vanilla LIC and started combing through it was honestly "softer" than it had been without the product. It definitely felt like it was doing its job. Conditioning. Again, the smell is nice, but that won't necessarily mean nice for you. Here's the thing; Megan explained to me a long time ago (a looooooooong time ago, like back when we used to live in the Towers at HU) that I am a person who likes food smells in my perfume, not everyone likes food smells and vanilla my friends is clearly a food smell. I mean, its sweet and yummy like a cake. (Ummm, I live in FL, so I'm not sure if I would spray this on my hair before going out on the town as a quick moisture fix 'cause the mosquitoes would LOVE me, I'll probably stick to my homemade water/vegetable glycerin/lavender spray for my moisture fix when my fro needs some attention either before or after a night out.)

So all in all, I am definitely impressed. This stuff is worth the price and shipping time. I will still always use my old stand buy cheapie conditioners for the initial cowash and comb-through but these guys will stay in my house. The tui oil is nice for a nightly treat for my ends before I strap on the scarf for the night too.

Anybody else like this stuff?

** Update: Its been a litte over two weeks and my curls from teh twistout I created with this post are still going strong. The Hair Milk does not leave any film on my hair, it still feels soft and conditioned. I will be co-washing within the next two days. I promise!

Generically Speaking

2008-06-19T11:17:00.014-04:00

So apparently we are in a recession. That's not fun. Especially if you are the person that does all of the shopping in the house...especially the grocery shopping. I have been the designated grocery shopper since the day I got my drivers licence. I will never forget that day in March of 1995 when my mother called me downstairs and said "Here's the grocery list and $75.00 for this week's groceries. Go." That was all I needed to hear! WHAT! I got to drive about 25 mins by myself to get to the nearest Super Stop&Shop. With $75.00! I felt so damn powerful. With that $75.00 I was able to buy meats, fruits bread, milk and all the other weekly staples that needed to be reloaded. I perfected the "calculate the bill in your head" method to make sure I didn't get stuck at the checkout counter without enough to cover the bill (that would have sucked) and finally began to understand the idea of a budget. (thanks mom, you're the best)

Now, back then there were a few products that my Mom was very loyal to: Tide, Uncle Ben's and Bounty. I don't think there was ever a time when we didn't have those products in the house. Fast forward to 2008. I'm now married and $75.00 a week does not go as far as it used to, and its only my husband and me in the house. With that being said, it is now time for me to share a few products that save me money and are surprisingly just as good as their counterparts.

First up, sorry mom, I wont be buying Bounty ever again, it's just too expensive. My new go to paper towel: Wal-Mart: Great Value Brand. I couldn't find a pic but there really easy to find. For the big pack of 8 I spent a little over $6.00. The towels are pretty soft, quilted and DURABLE. I am more than satisfied.

Next, sorry again mom, no more Uncle Ben's. I tried some discontinued Zataran's enriched long grain rice and you know what? It tasted just like rice. I got a 7 lb. bag for less than $3.00, the Uncle Ben's 5 lb. bag was over $6.00. That savings is well worth it to me. From now on if it says enriched long grain white rice, I'll always buy the cheapest one. Plus, I'm only using white rice about 20% of the time now, the other 80% we are eating brown rice since it's more heart healthy. I still need the white stuff to make Rice and Peas and if I'm cooking for a crowd, everyone hasn't made the switch to brown so it's always good to have some on hand.

Dryer sheets. Again since I was little I have been Team Bounce. No more. I now buy Target dryer sheets or Suavitel, they are very budget friendly and they work just fine.

Finally, Eye makeup remover. I used to use Neutrogena Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover. This past week I tried the CVS Brand. Same stuff, different bottle. No crazy reactions, I compare the ingredients when I was in the store and they were practically identical. I saved $2.50, not bad.

So, there it is. I'm not saying I'm ready to buy everything generic but there are a few things I'm willing to bend on. With all that said, I still willingly paid $20.33 for the Bobby Brown Lip Gloss in Raisin because there really is nothing better. I mix it with a dark brown lip liner and BAM, I'm ready to go.

Buy what you want, save when you can and enjoy!

Any other bargains I should know about??

NBC is in Trouble

2008-06-16T14:12:00.006-04:00

There's something about myself that I haven't shared with you all yet, I am a certified news junkie. I thought it was only national news but I think I'm addicted to local news too. It's so serious that I wake up and the first thing I normally do is go to the computer and check my homepage to see what I missed overnight and then move along to one of the local newspapers in the area.

With that said, I have to admit that I was really saddened by the recent passing of Tim Russert, the moderator of Meet the Press and news boss over at NBC. Admittedly, I would only watch MTP when he had someone on that I was interested in but he was always the go to guy during prime time when it was time for the political discussion. I will also never forget watching him during the presidential election night with the FloridaFloridaFlorida board. Here's the thing, he was a news guy. He wasn't an opinion guy. I appreciate that in an industry where Fox News is allowed to refer to themselves as "fair and balanced". Tim was totally like the guy next door but in reality he regularly met with the people that run the world, clearly the coolest job ever. I am interested to see who NBC will find to replace him at the MTP chair. Who are they going to find that has the willingness and/or ability to ask questions from both sides?

Tim's death was also a wake up call to anyone who is or knows someone who is overweight. Tim had asymptomatic coronary artery disease and according to his doctor, he was in control of it. But in an interview on Friday shortly after his death the doctor said that even though he regularly got exercise and just this past April had passed a stress test, on Friday (6/13/08) cholesterol plaque ruptured an artery and that was it. At the end of the interview (see below) he said that Tim's weight was an issue. I am one of the millions of people who try to remain in denial about the fact that being overweight can and at some point will do you in. I don't just mean kill you , I mean it can hinder you in ways that you don't even think about. So, running an pilates are not going to be enough, neither are my green smoothies. I am now going to make a conscious effort to bring my weight down to a healthy heart level. I want to live to be well into my 80's like my Grandma Lou and Grandpa C who are still alive and kicking right now.

May Tim Rest In Peace.

Lets get greasy!

2008-06-10T14:10:00.004-04:00

OK new product alert. Actually, its not really that new at all, its actually older than dirt really...Any guesses? OK, fine, I'll tell you, its Extra Virgin Olive Oil!

I put about a 1/2 cup on my hair last week before I did my usual conditioner wash and MAN, my hair feels great. How perfect is that. Now don't go running out to buy some cheap mixed up stuff, you should really invest in some really good pure oil. Try the health food store or a nice Greek or Italian market where you can get the real pure 100% Extra Virgin stuff. Think about how easily we shell out the dough to try a new product with a pretty label and throw it in our hair all willy nilly...exactly, me too. I am a self professed product junkie so don't be afraid, just try it and see what happens. If you don't like the after effects tell me why.

The Cosby Show Ladies

2008-05-29T14:02:00.007-04:00

When I was little, Rudy (Keshia Knight-Pulliam) and Vanessa (Tempest Bledsoe) were my idols. I really looked up to them (Keshia and I are the same age but you know what I mean) and I am so happy that they were on TV. I think Keshia stopped wearing her hair natural a while back (I'm actually not really sure, she could be pressing her hair) but Tempest is definitely rockin a natural. I am so proud of her. She did and interview with nappturality a while back and she explains her normal hair routine as follows:

"I wash my hair, saturate it with a deep conditioner, and sit under a heat cap for 45 minutes. Then I rinse out the conditioner with cold water, do an ACV rinse, and let my hair air dry. After my hair is dry, I make small twists (pencil sized) with Elasta QP Mango Butter. That takes about 3-4 hours, if I’m on a roll. The twists hang longer, and look fuller if they are small, and done on dry hair. I wear them for a long as two weeks sometimes. At any point, if I unravel, and mess it up with my hands, I get the twist out in the photo. dry, two-strand twists and wear either twists or my twist-out."

I definitely agree with her about the small twists done on dry hair. If you have the time, smaller twists are the way to go. I only recently started using the Elasta QP Mango Butter and it's a good product to have, the smell is a little strong for me but I'll take it, I will take a strong smelling lotion over pore clogging grease any day. I use pure Jojoba oil on my hair too, I get it from the health food store in the aisle with all of the other pure oils and essential oils. And y'all already know I swear by the ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) Rinse.

Run like the wind!!!

2008-05-23T11:27:00.006-04:00

I went running today. Ok actually I went run walking today. It wasn't horrible and I didn't pass out. Im in full twistout mode right now which means that at the end of every day of rocking my fly textured afro created by the two strand twists I put it in about 10 large twists to hold the shape and then cover it with my trusty scarf for sleeping and other bedtime activities. I woke up at 6AM got dressed put on my new running bra for my firends in the front and I was on my way. This is all thanks to some inspiration and a great book that basically says if you are a new runner just do the following for about 20 mins: walk slowly for a few minutes, walk and run slowly for a few more minutes, then walk slowy for a few more minutes. No huffing and puffing allowed. I did a 5 minute warm up and then run walked for 15 mins and then warmed down for 10 more minutes. Then I was done. I'm still alive and I'll be back out the day after tomorrow. As for my hair, I put on an all cotton headband and then pulled it into a ponytail. Thats my basic gym hairstyle, when I wear it all out and free and then do all that sweating its not as easy to twist down at night. its still doable but since I usually try to workout in the morning hours I like to keep it down until I really get dressed for the day. So no workout worries over here, in fact its almost noon and I must say I'm having a great hairday.

~naturalmel

Style Tips

2008-05-21T12:27:00.006-04:00

I only comb through my hair (actually I use a pick) when it's wet and has conditioner it. My hair is either in two strand twists or a twistout about 98% of the time, that other 2% its in a blown out afro or some dookie braids =). I know some naturals suggest combing out your twistout before shampooing your hair but I just think that because of the fragile nature of our hair it deserves to be in its happy moisture filled state when its time for a comb through. In fact, I'm actually a conditioner wash girl. All that means is that I don't use shampoo to wash my hair, instead I use a moisturizing conditioner in the same way that you would use shampoo. Conditioner has cleaning agents in it and leaves your hair feeling like it was nurtured instead of like all of the moisture was ripped out and dragged across the concrete. Its called a conditioner wash and I don't use any fancy crazy froo froo conditioners either, I use Suave or I use Alberto V05 and they work wonders.

Before I do the conditioner wash I rinse off any buildup on my hair or scalp with an mixture of apple cider vinegar and water. I use a ratio of 1 teaspoon to every one cup of water, and I never use more than three cups of water. I promise to go into the wonders of Apple Cider Vinegar another day.

~naturalmel

Random Thoughts

2008-05-19T21:30:00.005-04:00

OK yes, its clearly my fault for watching but I can't stop. Am I the only one that gets nauseous watching The Flavor of Love? I tried my damnedest not to watch but its like a really bad addiction/car wreck thing. That's really all I have to say bout that, I just needed to get that out.

~naturalmel

Ahhh, the JOY of SWIMMING!

2008-05-15T10:22:00.005-04:00

OK, so I'm an Aquarius and I LOVE water! I love the beach and I love swimming pools and I love the sun which is basically why I always know that I would end up living in Florida. So its the middle of May and its supposed to get up to 89 degrees today, I'd say it was the same yesterday so I decided to go swimming! It was day 7 or 8 of my twistout and I had it pulled back into a ponytail. I found a speedo swim cap that fit over my big head AND my big ponytail, threw it on and attempted some laps (I had to rest between each length of the pool...hey, I'm trying) and after I was done I rinsed the chlorine out and bake in the sun and read for about an hour. It was better than great. My hair did this maxwell-ish thing while I was drying off in my sun chair and I couldn't help but think, I love my hair. If I had a perm I would have already been running for cover or I probably wouldn't have gone in at all!
So, the moral to the story is enjoy you hair. Live your life and do all of the fun things you ever wanted to do and don't let your hair slow you down anymore.

~naturalmel

Let's Talk about SOFTEE

2008-05-06T11:15:00.006-04:00

OK so in my last post I said I like to use the green Softee grease in my hair, the one that I like is actually the one with HEMP in it, here's what it looks like:

This one has a mild smell and it leaves my hair shiny. The first time I used it was actually when I went to a "natural hair salon" in Tampa,FL and this cool chick from Philly used it while she was putting in some cornrows. I had come in with my hair already washed and blown out because I don't really trust new people to wash and dry my hair without pulling and tugging at it. Anyway, it felt great on my scalp so I asked her what product whe was using and I couldn't believe she pulled out the Softee, I remembered the old school softee that was dark green but this was different, so I bought some. Love it. But now I gotta tell you about the one I DON'T like, its the one with vitamin e in it and it looks like this:

This one is CRAZY. I bought it after I ran out of my first tub since I like to use vitamin e on my cuticles and skin. I did a normal dry two strand twist using this as my only product/moisturizer and listen, it made my pillowcase and silk scarf turn RED. It also left this strange buildup on my hair and when I was outside my hubby asked me if I had tried to dye my hair. Ummm no honey its just my grease. I went home and read the package and it says something on there about not using it on color treated hair, my hair isin't color treated but that don't sound right! So I went right back to the green hemp and Im not switching again!

~naturalmel

Organic Root Stimulator Lock and Twist Gel

2008-05-05T11:42:00.003-04:00

Ive decided tht from time to time I am going to let you guys what products I like to use in my hair. I will confess that I am sort of a product junkie but its in spurts. Sometimes all I use is Softee grease, (yall know the big ol' tub o grease, its light green and smelly with little branches "floating" in it) but when Im feeling adventurous I go to the beauty supply store and hunt. Ever since I did the big chop in June of 2005 there has been one product that I go back to over and over: Organic Root Stimulator Lock and Twist Gel. I have absolutely no idea if it really is organically made and I intend to find out eventually but in the meantime I like to use it when I do quick two strand twist on wet hair. It holds well and there's no flaky mess after it dries. Thats good stuff. So there's a picute of it on the top of the post. Try it out yourselves and tell me what you think....

~naturalmel

Twistout

2008-04-27T08:42:00.003-04:00

Hey girls,
Today were going to learn about the twistout. A twistout happens when you do two strand twists on your hair and then after some unspecfied period of time you un-twist them and get a fabulously wild and crazy hairstyle. If you have even an inch of hair and you can section it off into one inch sections and twist then you can rock a twistout. Its probably my favorite way to wear my hair, I take a little extra time to dosmaller twists but for me its worth seeing the definition in each twist when I finally decide to untwist my twists!

Transitioning: micros, strawsets and cornrows, oh my!

2008-04-17T14:51:00.006-04:00

So like I said, the first thing I decided to do in order to get out from under my perm was get microbraids. Now, when I say microbraids I dont mean some crazy small three strands of hair pinched together to make one braid micros they were definitely a decent size. I have been told that my hair is really thick. Since I have had to deal with it my whole life I think its pretty normal but going by the reactions of all my past hairdressers lets just go ahead and describe it as thick. I bring this up to you because depending on how thick or thin your hair is that's how you are going to have to figure out how big your micros will be. Of course its possible to attempt to do micros yourself but really, do you want to do that to yourself?

If you have never had them before I'll attempt to describe what its like to go and get them done. First you must go to the nearest beauty supply store and purchase some hair, either human or synthetic but in most cases if you're getting micros its gonna be human hair and it'll cost about $25. For some weird reason, everyones head seems to magically get done with two packs so you drop down your money for the two packs and run over to the braid shop and wait at the door. By this time its probably about 8:30am but don't be surprised if you aren't the first person in line....yes, that chick who's already at the door knows something you don't know....The ladies who braid at this shop are GANGSTA. There's probably about 8 chairs in the shop but only 3 braiders. The hours on the door say 9-5 but its probably more like 11-midnight depending on the time of year. So you wait until someone shows up to open the shop and at about 9:20am here comes "Teri" and lets us all in. Like I said its now 9:20am and you are now 2nd in line but there's other people behind you already but smart girl that you are you got your ass there as soon as you could. So "Teri" the braider takes the first customer and says to you since you are next that "Sara" will be there to help you in a few minutes, or if you want you can come back later at some random time and she will take you herself. GANGSTA ( she know Sara is still asleep at home cause she was here until midnight last night, bu does she tell you that, HELL NO...gangsta). Here's where it gets tricky, should you come back for this appointment even though you see all these people behind you or do you wait until "Sara" comes in? You decide to wait and right around lunchtime Sara comes in and you jump up out of your catnap saying, "I'm next" before one of the other heffers can cut you cause you were sleeping. Now Sara and Teri are probably from somewhere in West Africa. This could be one of many countries but in my experience English is usually their second or their language. You try to explain you want micros, but not too small because you don't want to have to take all those braids out. She says hold on and Teri steps in and you tell her you want micros but not too small she says "Oh you want just regular micros not micro minis" you say, "um....sure, yeah. and not too tight, I want to keep my edges please" and she says, "but if we don't do it tight they will fall out," and you say, "that's OK" and then Sara stars braiding and they yell back and forth across the show to each other in the language that you cant understand and just hope that this will all work out OK. About 8-16 hours later, Gurrl, you got some braids. you trow it in a ponytail and run out the door after paying a car note's worth of money. (FYI if you live in NY and you get your braids done on 125th in Harlem or in Brooklyn, it would probably have gone down a lot differently)

If you don't go that route you can get some cornrows put in or maybe a strawset, it all depends on how you feel comfortable but just know that at some point you are going to have to cut all that perm off and set your naps free. More on that later.

~naturalmel

Yes...I used to be an ultraperm girl

2008-04-17T09:11:00.006-04:00

In fact, I was queen of the perm! Every 4 to six weeks (depending on how my money was lookin) I was in the shop! When I was in college there was a girl on my floor freshman year who would put the box perm from CVS all up and through for $10. WHAT...you couldn't tell me nuthin! Then when I learned how to do the doobie/wrap at night, it was over. I would not do any of the following without putting on a scarf:

a.) lay down on the couch

b.) sleep

c.) cook

d.) take a long trip (plane, car or train)

I was what you might call a little obsessed, I just call it disciplined. :) Speaking of which, am I the only one that gets mad when they show a Black woman on TV going to sleep without a scarf on her head? I know I'm not the only one who does it and I have lived in a dorm with ALL Black women and if you go into one late at night at least 85% of the women will have a scarf on their head. All this laying down all willy nilly is bogus and it annoys me for whatever crazy reason but maybe its just me. Sorry about that. Moving on....After a few good years with the wrap though I began to notice more and more hair on the floor. Now I know technically we are all supposed to shed a certain amount of hair every day but I'm pretty sure I was over the limit. Even if I wasn't, it still freaked me out. Then I saw a picture of my friend L.A. and she was about 4 years into natural and I decided that same day that I was never going to get another perm. Yes, that fast. The next week I went and got some micros put in and I was on my way.

Patience is the key.

~naturalmel

It's time.

2008-04-15T16:14:00.008-04:00

At least once a week someone comes up to me and asks me, "how do you get your hair like that". Now, by "someone" I really mean a black female someone who has great hair herself but it has usually been unbent with xyz-ultraperm or hidden and/or disguised with a Tyra-esque weave and she is sick of it. Now, my answer to this question depends on the hair factor, if she has a perm I say something like, "Oh honey, its just natural, if you didn't have a perm your hair would do the same thing" and she says, "what do you mean natural" and I say,"Natural like when you were little and your mom used to put it in two, that kind of natural..." and then she says, "NO WAY! My hair would never do that, if I dont get a touch up every 3 weeks my new growth is like WOAH!" and thats when I get this pain in my stomach. Not like an ulcer pain just a little knot. A sadness knot because there is so much I want to tell her and in most cases I never get the chance. Now on the other hand if her hair is natural I take a minute to actually describe what I did to get the hairstyle of the week whether it was two stand twists or a twistout or a braid out or a wrap or cornrows. In most cases she will then give me the exact same reaction that I get from the ultrapermers, "NO WAY! My hair would never do that, I can't do anything with it," and at that point I get the little knot again. There is so much I want to share but again, I susally don't get the chance.

Realistically speaking, all of us have different hair but If you are Black, Im going to go out on a limb and say that your hair, in its natural state is probably very much like mine -- kinky and depending on how you take care of it while its in it's natural state you can get it to do all kinds of things that will make you smile. SO, that's why I'm here, I'm going to try my best to let you know how start being natural, take care of your natural and rock your natural in a way that is you, but just a little more fly.

Welcome to the naturalmel revolution.

~naturalmel

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