Length Updates on the Mom

Hi Everyone. Not sure if you remember back in October when I did a "Big Cut" of sorts. I cut the length of my hair to make a donation to Locks of Love again. The last donation I made to Locks of Love was in August of 2009. I enjoy making donations to this organization cause I know that there is a real need for them, there are lots of children who benefit from it.

I am growing my hair again to do another donation as soon as I feel the tug on my heart to do a "Big Cut" after I reach the required length. I feel very lucky to have hair that grows quickly and is thick enough make a difference in my eyes. Honestly, I have never paid attention to how quickly my hair grows till I cut my hair this time. I think the reason I notice so much more now is cause of people around me keep commenting.

I figured I would show you a couple of pics of how much my hair has grown since October of 2011. Let me know your thoughts on it. Ask me questions. Predict when you think I will have ten inches or more to donate and still have enough hair for a cute style. Tell me about your experiences if you have donated. I would love to hear your thoughts either below, on our Facebook or our Google Plus page.

Until the next time... Stay Blessed!

Motivational Monday: Mother Theresa

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We can do no great things, only small things with great love. 

-Mother Theresa

Stunning Stranger: Miss A and JoJo

Left: Miss A, Right: JoJo

Our Stunning Stranger this week comes from our friend JoJo who moved months ago and Miss A was one of the first people she met. Miss A is a friend of JoJo now but stunning none the less. 

Until the next time... Stay Blessed!

Review: Curls Like Us Curl Cloths (Picture Heavy)

Des and I are extremely excited about have the opportunity to review the Curl Cloths we received from Curls Like Us. Curls Like Us Curl Cloths is a Winner of NaturallyCurly.com's Best of the Best 2010. Curls Like Us sent the Curl Cloths to us super fast even during the holiday rush they got to us across the country in two days. This alone is a huge plus in my book; prompt customer service is always wonderful. The packaging was nice and even had the step by step technique for use right on the back of the label. Curl Cloths come two cloths to a pack and cost $24.95. The even offer a couple of different color choices (Pink/Green or Blue/Green) for the stitching around the edge of the Curl Cloth.

Once I took the Curl Cloths out of the package I realize that they were definitely a heavier weight cotton and made to where you could place your hands inside the cloth, kinda like a muff you wear in the winter to keep your hands warm. Being able to put your hands in the cloths gave you the ability to help squeeze your hair to help get the water out. I also thought it was great that you could turn it inside out if need be to get more water out of your hair.

I stopped using towels on both Des' hair and my own several months back. I found that towels were horrible on our hair, when we used them I noticed stray hairs or broken pieces of hair in the loops of the terry cloth of the towel. I had been just using regular cotton t-shirts from around the house to dry our hair. Curls Like Us actually discusses these same issues on the site. 

Now right before we received the Curl Cloths I had just put mini braids in Des' hair and wanted to make sure that they would stay in for a long time. I must say we are going on week 5 and they have minimal frizz. I think using the Curl Cloth has definitely helped keep the frizz down. 

I took pictures of Des as she used the Curl Cloth the very first time. I love the fact that the Curl Cloth gives Des the freedom to assist in caring for her hair. Des enjoyed using it and was thrilled at the fact that water was not running down her back once she got done doing what the instructions told her to do. With Des getting older all these points are important to me as well. 

Des got out of the shower and was excited to use the Curl Cloth but not so much about me taking pictures of it. You can see by the picture above that Des has her hands inside the Curl Cloth like a muff. 

Des flipped her braids over and squeezed the ends of them with the Curl Cloth to keep the braids from dripping. 

You can see the spots where the water is in the Curl Cloth. 

Des is not going down the length of her braids and squeezing the water out of them. 

Per the instructions we applied our favorite product to the hair, you can kinda see the white residue in the weave of the braids by the root of her hair. 

Des then squeezed her hair by the roots and continued down the braid now that she is standing straight up. 

If you look at the cloth you can see the dark spots of water, keep in mind these Curl Cloths are really thick so that is a lot of water.

Here is a picture of one side of the Curl Cloth after Des was done getting the water out of her hair. Des loved not having water drip down her back or soaking her shirt when she got ready for bed. 

This is a pic of Des right after she was done using the Curl Cloth. She did not have to walk around with something on her back to stop the water from soaking her shirt. Des' hair looks great. Even now 5 weeks later Des' hair is holding up well. She has used the Curl Cloth each time she gets her hair wet which has been at least once a week . 

I too have used the Curl Cloth. I honestly love them, they effectively remove the water from your hair WITHOUT damaging the hair or causing frizz. In fact, I am now beginning to see the waviness come back to hair that I had when it was longer. 

I can't wait to show you all what the Curl Cloth does for Des' hair when she wears her hair free. I imagine that it is going to clump her curls up beautifully. I will definitely post the result of using the Curl Cloth on her free hair once her braids come out. 

Curls Like Us can be found on Facebook and Twitter, you should definitely check them out and let them know Girly and Curly said Hi!

Until the next time... Stay Blessed!

Wordless Wednesday: "Fruits of Her Labor"

All her hard work in Garden Club has paid off! As you can all see... 

Motivational Monday

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Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. 

-William James

Stunning Stranger: Ms. T

I saw Ms. T while Des and I were cruising Target. I immediately noticed her hair so I had to ask her if I could take her picture. This picture does it NO justice, her hair is thick and healthy. While talking to Ms. T, I found out that she has been natural about a year. So glad she allowed me to share this picture with you all. 

Until the next time... Stay Blessed. 

Wordless Wednesday: Garden Club

Update on Mini Braids: Going on 4 weeks

It seems like forever since I posted anything about Des' hair, but rest assured it is all there. Before Christmas, Des and I decided we wanted to try and do mini braids on her. I must admit, this is the first time I have ever kept a style in for this long. Typically Des' hair is crazy frizzy and is attempting to lock up after a week and a half. I consulted a friend/fellow blogger prior to attempting to do this set of mini braids cause I wanted to see how she was successful. I decided which products to use and decided not to rush, we did this set of mini braids over two days time about four hours total each day (that is including breaks and such). This is how the mini braids looked once we were done. I did do a side part in case Des wanted to wear her hair down.

Since then about once a week, Des co washes her hair and blot dries it with a Curl Cloth to keep the frizz down. Then I go through and "grease" her scalp with some kind of conditioner. We have been using either Bee Mine Hair & Scalp Moisturizer or It's Perfectly Natural Root Food. I then make sure I moisturize the braids themselves and seal her ends as well. On an as needed bases, her hair will be spritzed with either Bee Mine Juicy Moisturizing Daily Spritz or It's Perfectly Natural Turn Me Loose depending on which line I used on her hair already. 

As far as styling these mini braids, Des has kept it pretty simple and done most the styles herself. I did however do a kind of Goddess braid sort of 'do over the weekend. Des has stated she wants to see how long we can keep these mini braids in, she has a lot of new growth which is kind of great to see. Des does have a goal of having hip length hair (not stretched) by the end of this year. Only time will tell. Until the next time... Stay Blessed.

Motivational Monday: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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"Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by LOVE."

-Martin Luther King Jr.

$100 Twitter Blast

There is an opportunity to win a $100 Amazon code by entering on the Rafflecopter below. This giveaway is going to be going on from Jan. 15th to Feb 1st at 12:01am EST. Easy enteries for a great prize. Thanking Jennifer from Kobiso for hosting this giveaway.

Stunning Strangers: Miss T and Miss T

Miss T and Miss T

I saw these pretty young ladies at church. I asked their father if I could share their picture with you all and he obliged. 

Until the next time... Stay Blessed. 

Kreativ Blogger Award

I would like to thank Goldilocks*n*Me for nominating me for this award. I also love to see your hair 'dos on Goldi's hair, you are gifted at what you do. 

The Conditions for Accepting the Award are:

• Link back to the person who gave you this award

• Answer the questions below

• Award 10 other blogs and let them know in a comment or email

• Share 7 random thoughts about yourself

The Questions:

1. NAME YOUR FAVORITE SONG:

Depends on my mood. I have different favorites in different genres. 

2. NAME YOUR FAVORITE DESSERT:
I like desserts that have nuts in them. Although for the most part I don't eat sweets. 

3. WHAT TICKS ME OFF:
When people treat others differently based on looks or assumptions. 

4. WHEN I'M UPSET I:
Keep to myself till I feel better. 
5. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PET:
My beagle, Diamond. 

6. BLACK OR WHITE:
Black

7. BIGGEST FEAR:
Losing people I love. 

8. EVERYDAY ATTITUDE:
I do my best to stay positive and help others do the same.

9. WHAT IS PERFECTION:
God is the only perfection in my life. 

10. GUILTY PLEASURE:
Me time. 



7 Random Thoughts about me

• I love to travel (just need more money to do it). 
• I lived in Japan for 9 months. 
• I have always loved "doing" hair. 
• I want to live where there are four seasons. 
• I would love to start my own successful business. 
• I am a perfectionist (not a good trait). 
• I love meeting new people but hate being in crowded public places, strange I know.

 I am now passing these award to these lovely bloggers:

Different Kinds of Curls

This Hair of Mine

Hair & Heart

Kandy Land Kurls

Braid with Me

Nawlins Naturals

NaturalHairLatina

Seriously Natural

Dime on a Dime

Curly Demure

Sparklehearts Sweet Surprise

Sparklehearts has decided to sponsor a giveaway for a lucky reader to win one product of the winner's choice from their line. In case you missed our review of Sparklehearts, you should definitely check it out. Enter the giveaway on the Rafflecopter form below and be sure to do all the mandatory entries properly so that your entries will count as all entries will be verified before winner is announced. If you have any questions please contact us.

Wordless Wednesday: Super Slide

Until the next time... Stay blessed!

Smiling over Sparklehearts (Product Review)

Des and I received a couple of wonderful products to review from a company called Sparklehearts. I was super excited about these products cause I had ran across the information for the company a while back. First off Sparklehearts is a product line which feels it is possible to take better care of your skin and the environment. In order to do that, Sparklehearts products are made from 99.6% natural, vegetable and plant based ingredients. They manufacture their line in the USA to keep the standards higher and products safer. Sparklehearts uses 100% recycled packaging, never tests on animals, doesn't use artificial colorants or carmine, and is environmentally friendly, all while giving back to the community.

Sparklehearts makes a Shine Shampoo, Soft Conditioner, Peace Out No Knots Hair Detangler, Bubbling Blooms Body Wash, and a Sparkly Body Lotion. They even have a TSA approved Gift Set which is perfect for travelling.

We received the Shine Shampoo and the Soft Conditioner. Both products came in a 10 oz. round pump bottle (which can be "locked") and retail for $12.49. The bottles themselves make you want to see what is inside cause of how colorful they are. 

Shine Shampoo's ingredients: Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Lauryl Glucoside & Sodium Coco-Sulfate(sugar & coconut foaming agent),Decyl Glucoside (sugar derived),Vegetable Glycerin, Coco-Glucoside & Glyceryl Oleate (coconut oil & natural sunflower blend), Rosmarinus Officinalis(Rosemary) Leaf Extract*, Chamomilla Recutita(Matricaria)Flower Extract*,Oenothera Biennis(Evening Primrose)Flower Extract,Viola Odorata(Violet) Leaf Extract,Viola Tricolor(Pansy) Extract, Hydrolyzed Sweet Almond Protein, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Essential Oils.

Des immediately wanted to see how the shampoo smelled so she opened it and was like, this smells like candy. Almost like Lemon Drops! I have to agree with her. The first time we used it and I pumped it into my hand I noticed that it is thick but runny at the same time and a clear yellowish color. The shampoo has a decent lather and allowed for you to run your fingers through the hair when you were rinsing it out. The hair definitely felt clean but not stripped which is always a plus when using a new shampoo. I would also like to say that this 10 oz. bottle of shampoo has definitely lasted a while. Both Des and I use it frequently and still have quite a bit left and we have had it about 7 weeks. 

Soft Conditioner's ingredients: Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Shea Butteramidopropyltrimonium Chloride, Cetyl & Stearyl Alcohols (coconut sources),Vegetable Glycerin, Panthenol (Vitamin B-5), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract*,Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract*, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract, Viola Odorata (Violet) Leaf Extract, Viola Tricolor (Pansy) Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*,Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil*,Hydrolyzed Sweet Almond Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Essential Oils.

Des did the same thing with the conditioner that she did with the shampoo, she was dying to know how it would smell. It too smells like candy (Sweet Tarts to us). This is part of Sparklehearts' brand all their products have an all natural, signature scent that smells like candy. The first time I used it on Des hair I used about a silver dollar size amount starting at her ends and working my way backwards. It is creamy not really thick but it serves it's purpose. It does work well and makes the hair manageable. I have also used this conditioner as a leave in when I have done box braids only adding a little bit of Eco Styler to help with the hold and they lasted as long as they normally would. Due to the length of Des' hair we have use more of the conditioner than we do the shampoo but we still have some and that says a lot for how well it works. 

All and all, Des and I both really like these products. I like the values that Sparklehearts has. I could see myself using them consistently. I am going to show you all pics of a couple of times that these products were used. You can find Sparklehearts on Facebook and on Twitter as well. To check out the other products Sparklehearts has or to buy some of your own click here.

Stunning Strangers: Miss J and Mr. D

These two beautiful children were waiting with their mom to pick up a sibling from school. I hate you can't Miss J's beautiful hair, it was past the middle of her back in a ponytail and beautiful curls. So glad that their mom let me share them with you. Hope you enjoyed this. Until the next time... Stay Blessed.

$100 Amazon Twitter Blast

Want to a way to get more Twitter followers? Well there is a Twitter Blast that you can sign up to be part of on Kobiso, if you are a Blogger. Just read the post and follow the directions. Sit back and watch your followers grow and grow. It is a win/win situation, your fans have the opportunity to win a $100 Amazon Card and you gain more following.

Wild for Curly Zebra

Des has always looked good in hats but her hair once the hat is off always looked frizzy. With that being said, Des didn't wear them much especially if her hair had just been done. Well recently I put Des' hair in mini braid which took quite some time due to the length and amount of braids. Wouldn't you know it, the day after I finished her braids the temperature dropped to pretty cold for us. I am so glad that before this happened I had received a beautifully made winter hat from Curly Zebra to review.

The first thing I noticed about the hat is that it was well made, the stitching and quality of fabric was great. Des loved it and it fit her perfect. Des actually chose the style of hat that she wanted to review and she chose the Let It Snow! with Fringe. Curly Zebra got us the hat in a short amount of time considering they made her hat when we chose the one we wanted. The satin which lines the hat is a heavier weight (which I really liked) and was also stitched to the very edge of the fleece so there is less likelihood of rubbing. The fleece was incredibly soft as well, so if Des' hair happened to rub on the fleece, I don't feel it would cause damage.

Now onto the scary and most rewarding part, after all the time Des and I spent doing her hair I worried what if this hat causes frizz a few days into the mini braids. So on wings and a prayer, we put the hat on and took it off. Guess what! No frizz, in fact, her hair didn't even look like a hat had touched it. Des wore this hat over the next couple of days and her hair look marvelous the whole time. Des even wore a flower and a headband with a large bow with this hat and nothing at all was disturbed.

I guess you can tell that Des and I are both fans of her Curly Zebra hat. So glad we were given the opportunity to review and to report that it is a wonderful company with quality products. You can find Curly Zebra on Facebook. Go check them out, they have many different styles, patterns and sizes of hats to fit infants to adults.

I hope this review helps someone who has had the same issue we once had. Until the next time... Stay Blessed.