Finding a Place to Live in a New City or State

You landed your dream job but it's out of state. Moving out of state can be exciting but it can also be stressful. Finding a place that fits your style and preferences can be a challenge, especially if you are not familiar with the city or state. The search can quickly become frustrating if you don't know where to search. Sure, sites like Craigslist might be a way to start your search but there are other resources that may help.

                       

  

 After two out of state moves and some bad rental experiences, I learned some helpful tips that can help you find and secure a place that fits your needs. Click here to read about Finding a Place to Live in a New City or State on StrongIsourSexy.com .

Wash Day Experience: Letting My Twists Hang

Saturday's wash day was pretty straightforward. Here is a recap:

[1] Pre-pooed with Hair Trigger for 45 minutes.

[2] Washed with Tangles and Beyond Rhassoul Whip Poo. It's been a month since my last shampoo and I knew it was time to fix that. This shampoo just like the other products from Tangles & Beyond smells amazing. I had to remind myself that it was shampoo and not chocolate. 

Rhassoul Whip Poo- Doesn't it remind you of chocolate ice cream?

[3]  Protein Treatment : ApHogee Intensive Two Minute Keratin Reconstructor . I left it on for two minutes and then rinsed it out. 

[4] Deep Conditioned with Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque. I ran out of my Tangles and Beyond Deep Moisture Conditioner last week so I had to go back to my old faithful. But I am totally hooked on Tangles & Beyond and I hope to score some more conditioner on the next drop sale.

[5] Detangled with my hair in sections with my Denman Brush with the deep conditioners still on my hair. 

[6] Tea Rinsed - No tea rinse again this week. I just didn't feel like doing another step on Saturday night.

[7] ACV rinse  I sprayed my scalp with the rinse and massaged it in for a couple of minutes. I'm finally learning how not to burn my eyes with the rinse. Lol. It's all letting the excess drip enough in the shower before reaching for the t-shirt to put on your head. 

[8] T-shirt dried my hair for about 30 minutes

[9] Applied my leave-ins: Jia's Caribbean Dream Cream (I'm almost out of this as well :(  ) ,Tangles and Beyond Deep Moisture Shea Butter and Argan Oil.

[10] Styled my hair-  After pinning up my three strand twists for the last few weeks, I decided to wear them down. I noticed that there are a few twists (mostly in the back and a couple on top) that are way longer than the other twists. It is interesting that I have different growth patterns/rates for each area of my head.

How was your wash day? Join the #WashDayExperience linkup and share your experience.

Until next time!


~Adventures of a Nappy Chica

Natural Hair Journey: 11 Months Natural

I think I officially hit my groove this month. The past 11 months have been filled with learning about products, techniques and natural hair. Now, I actually have a sense of what my hair needs and products that work for me.

My motto for this month has been: keep it simple. For me, that means wearing low manipulative styles and keeping my regimen simple with just the basic necessities.

Current Length: I haven't really been focusing on length in recent months. In fact, since the February Mini Challenge I haven't worn my hair out. The only time I "see" my hair is once a week on wash days. I will say that the hubby has been commenting on how big my fro is getting. I can definitely tell that it has gotten fuller.  While I want to retain length, I don't want to become obsessed with the it. Instead I want to focus on healthy hair practices and remain consistent.

      

My Go-to Styles this month:  Three Strand Twists

There wasn't much variety with my hairstyles this month but I'm okay with that. After some research and trail & error, I realized that wearing my hair in three strand twists decreased single strand knots. To spruce up my twists, I like to wear flower accessories.  Thanks to NaturalMe4C 's review I scored a couple of new accessories and I can't wait to wear them (once they arrive).

Hair Regimen: Washing my hair once a week has worked out well. My scalp has been doing well with the help of Bee Sensitive Oil Free Serum  . I'm also currently in love with three products from Tangles and Beyond: Deep Moisture Conditioner, Jia's Carribean DreamCreme and Deep Moisture Shea Butter Creme. I will be posting a review of these products in the near future.  Other than that, things are pretty much the same. Oh and after some research, I may have found out how to prevent single strand knots

Plans for next month:  My plan is to keep my hair in twists until my 1 year natural anniversary. I have a giveaway to mark the occasion, details will be posted as we get closer. 

Until next time,

~Adventures of a Nappy Chica 

Why You Should Try Zumba: Guest Post for #QuirkyFitFab

Those of you who know me, know that fitness is an important part of my life. Not only does it keep me sane but it also goes with my philosophy of living an active and healthy lifestyle. But, I'm also realistic about how I incorporate fitness into my every life. For me, my workouts have to be fun and challenging. Which is probably why I absolutely love Zumba.

 

 

 

 

 

 



I had several of my friends rave about Zumba in the past and I admit I was a little skeptical to jump on the bandwagon. Which is weird because I love dancing. So one day when my favorite fitness class was cancelled unexpectedly, I decided to give Zumba a try. I mean it wouldn't hurt, right?

If you've never tried Zumba and you want to hear about my experience, go to  Quirky Brown Love to read the full article.

Wash Day Recap: Three Strand Twist Updo

Happy Monday!

I had a  three day weekend with the hubby and it was so hard going back to work today. I'll post pics of our little adventure sometime this week.

Yesterday's wash day was another knot free success. I now have two knot free wash days under my belt and it feels great! For a look at my first step in tackling knots, check out this post.

Here is a quick recap of my wash day:

[1] Pre-pooed with Virgin Coconut Oil and JBCO  for about an hour. I used this time to finger detangle and get rid of shed hairs.

[2] Co-washed with Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Co-Wash Cleansing Conditioner in sections. 

[3]  Protein Treatment : ApHogee Intensive Two Minute Keratin Reconstructor . I left it on for two minutes and then rinsed it out. 

[4] Deep Conditioned with Perfect Moisture Deep Conditioner by Tangles and Beyond  & Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque  for about 45 minutes.  I ran out of the Perfect Moisture Deep Conditioner, which made me so sad. But, this Saturday is Tangles & Beyond's March drop is this Saturday and I'm hoping to snag a 16 oz bottle. Wish me luck!

[5] Detangled with my hair in sections with my Denman Brush with the deep conditioners still on my hair. 

[6] Tea Rinsed - I skipped the tea rinse but I plan to do one on my next wash day.

[7] ACV rinse  I sprayed my scalp with the rinse and massaged it in for a couple of minutes. I wrapped my hair in my t-shirt letting it soak up the excess rinse.

[8] T-shirt dried my hair for about 30 minutes

[9] Applied my leave-ins: Jia's Caribbean Dream Cream , Shea Moisture JBCO Leave-In Conditioner, JBCO, Tangles and Beyond Deep Moisture Shea Butter and Argan Oil.

* I may have mentioned this before but Jia's Caribbean Dream Cream and the Deep Moisture Shea Butter smell delicious! This is probably my favorite part of my wash days these days because it leaves my hair so soft. Plus, the scent from these two products linger and I love getting a whiff of it during the day. Lol.

[10] Styled my hair- I went with the three strand twists but this time I pinned it up with bobby pins.  

Nothing special or complicated. I wanted a hairstyle that was easy and would last a week even with my workouts.

   How was your #WashDayExperience? Join the link-up and share your experience.

Battle of the Single Strand Knots Part 1: Reevaluating My Regimen

As some of you may recall, single strand knots became an issue on my wash days. After enduring several wash days filled with knots, I started doing some research to find the culprit and ways to prevent knots in the future.

One of the first things I did was reevaluate my regimen. My issues with single strand knots are new, so I realized there was something different in my routine. It took a little bit of reflection on my part but I think my knots began after I changed my pre-poo routine. Instead of my usual pre-poo product, I incorporated two new products from Carol's Daughter. Now, don't get me wrong, those products are great! But, my original pre-poo product and procedure allowed me time to pre-detangle and get rid of stray hairs. So, for now I'm rotating the Carol's Daughter products out of my regimen and going back to a technique that worked for me. I just received my latest order from Hair Trigger, so you can expect to see that on my wash days once again.

For right now I think the other product changes in my regimen have been beneficial to the health and growth of my hair.

Have you experienced single strand knots? What changes did you make to your regimen?

Wash Day Recap: No Single Strand Knots! + New update on the blog

Happy Monday everyone,

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. It was abnormally nice this weekend in Monterey, so the hubby and I made sure to soak up the sun.

Anyway, yesterday's wash day was amazing. Why, you ask? Because this was the first time in awhile that I didn't have any single strand knots. I kept waiting for them to pop up but they didn't. I guess my changes are making a difference.

Now on to the recap:
                                          
[1] Pre-pooed with Virgin Coconut Oil and JBCO  for an hour, paying attention to my ends. I like using this time to lightling detangle with my fingers.  Coconut Oil was one of my staples in the very beginning and it worked wonders for my hair. I'm happy that I decided to incorporate into my regimen once again

[2] Co-washed with Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Co-Wash Cleansing Conditioner in sections. 

[3]  Protein Treatment : ApHogee Intensive Two Minute Keratin Reconstructor . I left it on for two minutes and then rinsed it out. 

[4] Deep Conditioned with Perfect Moisture Deep Conditioner by Tangles and Beyond  & Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque  for about 45 minutes. I'm running out of my sample of the deep conditioner from Tangles and Beyond so I had to mix it with one in my stash.  I didn't intend to leave it in so long but I had to run an errand. Yes, I actually went outside with my deep conditioner in my hair. Well, thankful my hoodie covered it up pretty well. Lol.

[5] Detangled with my hair in sections with my Denman Brush (with the deep conditioner still in my hair).  For now, I think the Denman Brush is the best way to detangle my hair. 

[6] Tea Rinsed with my black and green tea mixture.  Lately I've opted for 3 black tea bags and one grean tea bag. 

[7] ACV rinse . I poured the rinse over my head, massaged it in for a minute and then threw my t-shirt on my head. No matter how much I dilute it with water, the ACV rinse manages to make its way into my eyes.  ACV to the eye is so unpleasant. Lol.

[8] T-shirt dried my hair for about 30 minutes

[9] Applied my leave-ins: Jia's Carribean Dream Cream , Shea Moisture JBCO Leave-In Conditioner, JBCO, Tangles and Beyond Deep Moisture Shea Butter and Argan Oil.

[10]  3 Strand twists - I really tried to do bigger twists to save myself some time, but I failed miserably. I think it took me about 2 1/2 hours to finish. 

I was so excited to make it through an entire wash day without any knots! This hasn't happen for at least a couple of months. I know that my little tweaks have worked and I'm determined to keep it up. I will also be sharing some of the things that have worked for me.


As I mentioned in an earlier post, I will be rocking 3 strand twists until my one year natural anniversary.  

Blog Update

In case you didn't notice it, there is a big change on the blog. We have a blog domain! I was getting ready to do a new post and Google showed me an offer for an domain name. The price was low and the name I wanted was open. I jumped on the opportunity and purchased it right away. One of my goals is to update the blog this year and getting a domain name was on my to-do list. I hope to do more updates to the blog this year. So please stay tuned for that :).





               Don't forge to share your #WashDayExperience  by joining the linkup.  

Until next time!

Product Review: Bee Sensitive Oil Free Serum

Price: $15.00 for (8 fl oz)

Where I bought it: www.beemineproducts.com

Why I bought it: Finding products that help soothe my itchy, dry scalp has been a goal of mine. Incorporating ACV rinses on wash day has really helped with this problem. But, now that I only wash my hair once a week, I need a product that I can use during the week.

Product Description: Bee Sensitive-Oil Free serum was specially created for those with dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema and other sensitive skin conditions. It has been formulated to help calm the scalp and promote a healthy environment for optimal growth. The soothing and healing properties of organic aloe vera juice paired with select herbs can assist in alleviating the discomfort of many scalp conditions.

Directions: Use daily or every other day for best results. Please conduct a patch test on the back of your hand prior to full use. Please seek a doctor's opinion for any scalp condition.

Ingredients:   Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Organic Aloe Vera Juice), Aqueous (Distilled Water), Organic Emblica Officinalis Alma Fruit Powder (to help nourish the scalp,  encourage hair growth and even help with premature graying), Centella asiatic (Gota Kola) Powder (prevents hair loss and improves blood circulation in the scalp),  Organic Mentha piperita (peppermint = used to soothe dry or oily scalp), Symthytum officinale (Organic), Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Organic),  Organic Arctiucm lappa (aka Burdock), Methylsulfonyl-methane, Fragance/Parfum (phthalates free), Phenoxyethanol and Caprylyl Glycol (Paraben & Formaldehyde Free Perservative)

* This product is also Protein Free
How I use it: As needed or every other day.

What I love about it:  Isn't it great when a product actually does what it claims? This product has stopped my dry, itchy scalp in its tracks. Unless you suffer from dry skin and eczema like I do, you might not realize how important this relief is to my sanity and the health of my hair. No more tapping my head to avoid scratching my scalp thus causing it to become more itchy and irritated. Even on the days when I forget to apply it, if I spray my scalp with the serum my scalp is alleviated right away. Since having a healthy, clean scalp is essential to promoting growth, this serum has been a great addition to my regimen.

Because this spray packs a great punch, you don't need to saturate your scalp with the spray. I like to spray it lightly on my scalp and sometimes I even massage it in with my fingers. The smell has an herbal scent to it but nothing overpowering or strong. It is light and refreshing on the scalp.


What I don't like:  This spray is amazing, so you won't hear any negative reviews for me. I only wish it came in a bigger bottle!

Final thoughts: I've been using this serum for a little over two months and I love it.  Armed with this serum and my ACV rinses, my scalp is clean and healthy. If you're looking to alleviate your itchy scalp, give this serum a try. It works great and you can't beat the price.

Have you tried the Bee Sensitive Oil Free Serum?  If so, what did you think?

*Disclosure: I purchased the item in this review with my own funds.  I have not received any monetary compensation for writing this review.  I do not have any connections with the brand or product that I mentioned. 

Wash Day Experience: Revisiting The Basics + 3 Strand Twist

Happy Monday!

As I approach my 1 year natural anniversary, I'm really focusing on my regimen and making improvements along the way. One of the issues that I've been dealing with is single strand knots. This recent problem has plagued my wash days as of late. So, this month I'll be focusing on ways to help reduce this problem. I'll be doing some research and trying out different methods/suggestions to see what works. Be sure to stay tuned for that. But for now, on to the recap of yesterday's wash day:

                                           

Part of my arsenal for this past wash day

[1] Pre-pooed with Virgin Coconut Oil and JBCO  for an hour, paying attention to my ends. I used this time to try to get rid of shed hairs and did some light finger detangling in the process.  I wanted to use Extra Virgin Coconut Oil but Trader Joe's was out of it due to a strike. So I headed to Safeway and picked up the virgin coconut oil instead. Hopefully the strike ends soon and I can get back to my EVCO.
                                                         

[2] Co-washed with Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Co-Wash Cleansing Conditioner in sections. This seems to help keep my hair from tangling around each other. It also gives me a chance to focus on one section at a time.

[3]  Protein Treatment : ApHogee Intensive Two Minute Keratin Reconstructor . I left it on for two minutes and then rinsed it out. 

[4] Deep Conditioned with Perfect Moisture Deep Conditioner by Tangles and Beyond for 30 minutes.

[5] Detangled with my hair in sections with my Denman Brush (with the deep conditioner still in my hair). For now, I think the Denman brush gives me the best results and I will probably use it from now on. 

[6] Tea Rinsed with my black and green tea mixture. For this week's rinse, I used 3 black tea bags and one green tea bag. I like to massage the rinse into my hair for a few minutes leaving it in.

[7] ACV rinse = I really focus on my scalp making sure that I don't have any buildup and I like to leave it in as well. 

[8] T-shirt dried my hair for about 30 minutes

[9] Applied my leave-ins: Jia's Carribean Dream Cream , Shea Moisture JBCO Leave-In Conditioner, JBCO, Tangles and Beyond Deep Moisture Shea Butter.

[10]  Put my hair in sections and did 3 strand twists. Whenever I twist my hair my goal is to not have too many twist but that never happens. I think it took me about 2 hours or so to do my whole hair.

At the end of wash day my hair and scalp felt fantastic after, not to mention there were only a few single knot strands! Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I will be rocking low manipulation styles until my 1 year anniversary. Instead of doing an updo, I went for something sort of in between. Because stretching natural hair helps prevents knots, I opted for a style that would achieve that goal, 3 strand twists. 

Honestly, I think this is my best 3 strand twist ever. I don't know if I'm imagining it but I swear I can see the difference in length since the last time I wore it this way. For now, the plan is to wear it like this the rest of the week. I'm going to use the Bee Mine Sensitive Oil Free Serum for my scalp and the moisture my ends using the LCO method.

                           

 How was your wash day? Be sure to join the linkup and share your #WashdayExperience

Until next time!

~Adventures of a Nappy Chica

Wash Day Recap: First Wash Day in March + Another Updo

Happy Monday!!!

March is officially here, which means spring and my one year natural anniversary are just around the corner.

I enjoyed last month's updo challenge so much, that I've decided to continue doing updos/low manipulation styles until my natural anniversary. I will probably revisit a lot of the styles from last month and of course, I will try out some new ones as well. If you have any styles you think might work for my length, feel free to share!

Another one of my goals for this month is to minimize the amount of single strand knots. Up until recently, this wasn't an issue for me. But as you may have noticed, they have become a real nuisance and something that I've been trying to figure out. I'm going to experiment with a few things in my regimen to see if I can figure out the cause and find a solution.

Now on to yesterday's wash day:

[1] Pre-pooed with Hair Trigger Grow Elixir and Soultanical's Knot Sauce .  I haven't used Hair Trigger  in a couple of months and I missed it. I didn't experience any knots when this was a staple in my regimen and I'm hoping that incorporating it again will help in some way.
[2] Co-washed with Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Co-Wash Cleansing Conditioner. I noticed that most of my knots seem to appear after I wash my hair. Hopefully washing my hair in sections will eliminate the tangles and knots.

I picked up these butterfly clips from Sally's over the weekend. I got a pack of 12 for $2.19, which is a great deal in my book. The plan is to use these clips to wash my hair in sections. 

[3] Deep Conditioned with Perfect Moisture Deep Conditioner by Tangles and Beyond for 45 mintutes
[4] Detangled with my shower comb (a wide tooth comb). For the past several months I've only used my fingers to detangle. While I don't want to use a comb, I think detangling once a week with a wide tooth might make a difference with my hair.
[5] T-shirt dried my hair for about 20 minutes. I didn't want to twist my hair at this point, so I left my hair dry in sections using the butterfly clips. 
[6] Leave-ins: Jia's Carribean Dream Cream (another sample from Tangles and Beyond) 
[7] Prepare hair for bed: Applied Perfect Moisture Shea Butter Blend, Argon Oil and Marguerite's Magic Restorative Cream and put on my bonnet.

It's only been one wash day but I'm happy to report that I didn't have any major knots. I did have a couple but nothing that required shears. 


This morning I opted for a French Twist updo with a small pompadour in the front. I wanted to try a new style but I didn't research any styles and I didn't have any ideas. Plus, I really liked this look and didn't mind wearing it again. 

How was your wash day? Join the #WashDayExperience and share you wash day.

Until next time!

~Adventures of a Nappy Chica