The Write Curl Diary

Monday, September 27, 2010 1:39 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Healthy Natural Hair

Friday, September 24, 2010 4:42 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Motherhood

I'm feeling a little melancholy because she's already growing so fast.
They are only babies for a flash, then the next thing you know they're wearing skinny jeans and protesting when you grab their hands to cross the street. Anyway, just remember to slow down and be in the moment.

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

~Diane Loomans, from "If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again"

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 2:12 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Healthy Natural Hair, Motherhood

As I was taking out my daughter's braids the other day, she asked me "Mommy, why can't I ever wear my hair out?" I told her that it would get too tangly and dry and that's not healthy for her hair. If she wants it to be healthy and strong, we need to keep it in braids and twists most of the time. Plus, I told her she's too young to be wearing her hair out. She was quiet for awhile. "But how come the tan girls in my class can wear their hair out? They're only four, too! And their hair just hangs down and moves." What she means by tan is white and hispanic. Oh boy.

I sat there stalling trying to figure out how to explain hair texture to her and the fact that our hair has different needs. I told her that those girls probably wish that they could wear their hair in all the cool styles that she gets to wear but their hair won't stay in twists and braids. I reminded her that she doesn't like to get her hair done, and that if she wore it out, it would have to be combed and dealt with much more often. I pointed out that when I cornrow her hair and put beads at the end, it hangs and swings with the best of them. Finally, I promised that I'd let her wear her hair out in the next family pics that we take. She seemed satisfied with my ramblings. Matter of fact, by the time I got done talking, she'd already moved on to the next question: "Why can't I wear my tap shoes to school?"

Have your daughters or nieces or other little women in your life asked you similar questions about their hair? What did you say??!

11:16 AM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Uncategorized

I love blogging. I've learned so much and been so inspired by the bloggers I follow and the readers who follow me. I look forward to our interactions everyday - the giving and receiving of support, laughs and information is invaluable.

Big thanks and hugs to Tisha from Inspired Moments for sending me the following award. I get so excited when I find bloggers whose purpose is similar to mine. Inspired Moments is full of positivity and enlightenment.

Saturday, September 18, 2010 10:00 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Happiness, Inner Beauty, Motivation and Goals

A healthy beauty routine is not complete without considering the nurture and development of your mind and spirit.

"Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own Spirit."
~Marcus Aurelius

Soon the clocks will be falling back and the nights will be longer. With more time spent in the house, and less daylight, it's important to stay occupied with projects that energize you. Keep your mind active and surround yourself with things that inspire you. I plan to take this time to soul search and practice mindfulness. Mindfulness refers to being completely in touch with and aware of the present moment as well as taking a non-evaluative and non-judgmental approach to your inner experience.

To practice mindfulness, I need to refocus on the following practices:
Yoga Focuses on the goal of developing an awareness and integration of all aspects of one's physical, emotional, and intellectual being. Yoga is like a man that I once loved and then lost. I want that old thing back.
Prayer and Meditation I've read that prayer is talking to God and meditation is listening to God, and this concept makes sense to me. I pray and talk to God all the time, but I have a hard time silencing my mind to meditate.
Visualization Helps with the process of goal fulfillment by evoking The Law of Attraction. I've created vision boards before on poster boards. I'm going to start using cork boards, which will allow me to change things more often. A vision board is a collage of images, pictures and affirmations that capture your dreams and desires.

**How do you stay spiritually grounded? Have you tried yoga or meditation? What about vision boards? Do you struggle to find time to feed your spirituality and empower your creativity?


"Men are not prisoners of fate, but prisoners of their own minds." ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

Sometimes we get consumed by the pressures of life and our responsibilities and we sacrifice doing what we love because we think we have to. My 9 to 5 pays the bills, but it doesn't fill me up. Yet, I put so much time and energy into it that I don't have anything left for work that really makes me feel alive. What I realize is that my circumstances aren't limiting me. I'm limiting me. I'm now open to the idea that there are many ways that I could apply myself and offer my spiritual gifts to the world - and get paid for it. So, as I dedicate myself to Discovering the Business of Me (a la Think & Grow Chick); I'm honoring my gifts and defining my own unique lifestyle. A lifestyle that defies conventional limitations. I look forward to spending the next few months soul searching and writing. Speaking my mind. Setting boundaries. Creating more ways for me to do what I love.

Stepping out of my Comfort Zone I have to make myself uncomfortable in order to grow. I must do things I've never done before in order to make things happen in my life that have never happened before. I know that fear is a liar, but I still struggle with it daily. Overcoming fear and continuing to overcome fear will always be part of my spiritual plan.

Monday, September 13, 2010 12:41 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Healthy Natural Hair

       
Of course, it's not the sex itself, but all the rubbing of your delicate strands on the unhairfriendly cotton sheets, the grabbing, the swinging - you know, the general abandon of it all. A roll in the hay can cause a mess of dryness, knots and tangles. Maybe you are better than me and you always put a scarf on or maybe you sleep on satin sheets. If not, it's something to think about. I'm sure that tangling and knotting is the last thing on ur mind in the heat of the moment, but at least be aware. It all comes down to how far you want to take this hair thing. I don't think it's healthy to be so concerned with hair that we stop living in the moment, but at the same time, we must consider all the factors that contribute to our length retention or lack thereof.

Do you feel unsexy when you have your scarf on during relations? How does your partner feel about it?

Which leads me into another sneaky hair damager - laying around the house with your hair out. The problem is the same as above - it causes dryness, knots and tangles. Typically, if my hair has been up all day, the first thing I want to do when I get home is take it down and let it be free. Instead of leaving it down though, I do one of the following things:

*Put it in a very loose, messy bun (and tie a scarf over it if I lay down)
*Put on my satin cap
*Put it in a loose french braid and tuck the bottom under (and tie a scarf over it if I lay down)

How do you wear your hair when you're laying around the house?

Another good reason to take your bun or ponytail out when you get home is to release the strain on your hair from the ponytail holder. I only use soft scrunchies and seamless ponytail holders on my hair and I don't put them in as tight as they can go. When I get home, I take it out or at least loosen it even further. The hair shouldn't be pulled too tightly, and the metal pieces in a lot of ponytail holders can snag the hair and break it or pull it out.

Another sneaky snagger is a comb with seams. If you look closely at your comes, you may notice that the seams are uneven or jagged. Try to avoid combs with any seams at all. They can snag the hair and leave us wondering why we're losing so much hair or have so much shedding.

Finally, I love a wool sweater as much as the next girl. But if you wear your hair down and allow it to rub on the sweater all day, you are causing your ends to die a slow, painful death. I hate to be dramatic, but it's terrible for your hair. I'll also throw in wool caps and coats with this one. Throw a layer of silk or satin between your hair and the wool. Throw a scarf over your shoulders or sew a lining into your hat. Alternatively, you can avoid wool caps altogether and simply wear your hair up when you have on a wool sweater or coat.

Can you suggest any other ways to protect your hair from wool apparel in the winter time?

Sometimes, all these things seem like way too much to think about. For me, I'm willing to make sacrifices as long as it doesn't detract from me enjoying my life. All of these tips are relevant whether you are trying to grow your hair or not. I've mentioned many times before that my hair has cycled between shoulder length and mid back length my whole life - a cycle of growth and breakage. Typically, the breakage phases would come when I stopped paying attention to details like this.

Decide what sacrifices you are willing to make so that maintaining your healthy hair is still a fun aspect of your life and not a burden that distracts you from living...and loving ;-)

Happy Monday!
 

Thursday, September 9, 2010 3:03 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Healthy Natural Hair, Self-Care

As the seasons change, I always feel the need to reevaluate my self-care routines, not only to adjust to the weather but also to sort of audit myself. This allows me to notice if I'm holding onto bad habits, ineffective routines and old ideas. We are constantly evolving creatures, and to stay fresh and in the present we must be ready to say out with the old and in with the new periodically.

Today in Part 1, I'm documenting my Hair and Skin routines. Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3.

I have been bunning for about two weeks now. Even if I wasn't growing my hair, protective styling would be the most sensible option to keep me looking somewhat put together these days. The only thing I will add to the bunning regimen that I've detailed in this post, is that I'll be shampooing and deep conditioning with heat once a month. The themes here are high protection and low maintenance. Sometimes you have to pause and listen to your life. For me, common sense tells me that I need to put some high maintenance into other areas of my life and some low maintenance into my hair in order to make the progress I desire all around.

Current Products in Rotation:
Shampoo - SheaMoisture Moisture Retention
Cowash Conditioners - Aussie Moist, Herbal Essences Hello Hydration, Tresemme Naturals
Deep Conditioner - *Revisiting - Open to Suggestions!*
Detangler/Wet Leave-In - BeeMine Juicy Spray, Jane Carter Detangling Leave-In
Creamy Leave In Conditioner - Giovanni Direct Leave In, Kinky Curly Knot Today
Moisturizer - BeeMine Luscious Balanced Moisturizer
Sealer - BeeMine Hair and Scalp Moisturizer, homemade shea butter/coconut oil mixture

***What are your current hair goals? Are you working with or against the flow of your life to achieve those goals?

I've struggled with my oily, acne-prone skin since I was a teenager. I've never had major cystic acne, but I've always had bumps and dark marks. As I've grown older and tired of trying many different chemical treatments to clear my skin, I've finally begun researching what I can do to improve my skin from the inside out. Although I love makeup, I'd like to be able to go without it and not be self-conscious about my blemishes.

Current Routine:
Drinking - at least 8 cups of water everyday
Oil Cleansing - I've started using The MopTop Maven's oil cleansing method. I've heard of oil cleansing before, but I never did any research on it or tried for myself. I'm so glad I did. It's been two weeks and so far my skin is looooving it. At night, I oil cleanse with Castor Oil and Hazelnut Oil. I still tone and treat spots with Mario Badescu products, which are expensive but effective. In the morning, I cleanse with my beloved Clarisonic and diluted Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap. It's gentle and the pepperminty tingle awakens and refreshes me. Once a week I use my Yes to Tomatoes mask to clarify my pores.
Exfoliating - I exfoliate with exfoliating gloves at least every other day in the shower and I moisturize my skin while it's still damp with my shea butter/coconut oil mixture.

***If you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, have you considered that your diet could be affecting your skin or that there may be natural alternatives to spending tons of money on harsh treatments and chemical services? What has been your experience??

Friday, September 3, 2010 2:51 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Motivation and Goals, Musings and Reflections, Self-Discovery

Imagine that you are in a room full of wrapped boxes. Each one is wrapped differently - some are decorative and some are plain. Some are ugly, dirty and scary looking. You have no idea what is in each one.

Thursday, September 2, 2010 11:36 AM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Healthy Natural Hair

Bunning is my new easy button. Here's why:

1) PROTECTIVE: Bunning will not only protect my hair, but will also give my skin a much needed break from being subject to the products in my hair. In the winter, bunning will protect my hair from the elements and wool sweaters and coats.

2) CONVENIENT: My bunning regimen has been requiring minimal time in the evenings and mornings. I have more time to focus on the family and other things that I need to do (write!). Bunning will go well with my long overdue return to the gym.

3) VERSATILE: Buns are only boring if you allow them to be. I can be creative with different styling - high, low, side, braids, flowers, scarves, etc. Also, I'm enjoying my earring collection much more because normally my hair mostly covers my ears. Finally, I can wear them for both work and play.

MY CURRENT REGIMEN:

Wash. I am going to start clarifying my hair once a month. I have not been doing this since I went natural. Without clarifying, I could be allowing build up on my hair to block nutrients from absorbing. So, I will use a clarifying shampoo monthly followed by a moisturizing shampoo. I'll continue to cowash as needed - usually weekly.

Condition. I will be deep conditioning with heat when I shampoo from now on. I will continue to do pre-poo treatments occasionally when I cowash. I'll continue to use a water based leave-in conditioner after I cowash.

Moisturize. Some products can serve as a leave-in conditioner and a moisturizer. Currently, I'm doing this step separately.

Stretch. This is key for me. I don't plan on wet-bunning. Leaving my hair wet leads me to tangles and single strand knots. I plan to stretch in one of two ways, depending on my mood.

======>Blowdrying. Last week, after moisturizing I blow dried my hair on low just enough to get it dry and stretched out. It was still bushy and full which for me is necessary for a nice fat bun. I don't want to blow dry more than twice a month.

======>Braiding. This week, I will put my hair in a few plaits after moisturizing and let it air dry. Once it's dry, I can work it into a smooth bun or I can work it into a messy, wavy bun.

Seal. Nightly, I take the bun out and massage my scalp, spray my hair with a light leave-in conditioner and seal my ends with an oil or butter. I put it in a loose braid or twist and wrap it around itself at the base of my neck, put a soft scrunchie on it, and put a scarf on.