Did you clean your fruit&veggies???

If you are a legit reader than you know I am on a weight loss journey so I eat a lot of fruits and veggies.
My mother and myself were talking today about how often people do not wash and sanitize their fruits&veggies. I believe we began cleaning fruits& veggies maybe 1year, we used to do the quick rinse under the faucet but we learned that we were not truly doing much lol.

So I decided to make a PSA to my readers about this issue, you guys buy a vegetable cleaner brush, you can find them often at your local grocery store. They look like ...

I am stressing the importance of cleaning your fruits and veggies because some fruit must be sprayed with pesticides to keep birds, and insects away from them, this pesticide is a poison of some sort and some are stronger than others however we do not have a way of knowing exactly what pesticides are on all fruit so it is important to always clean them before consumption!

I use the veggie brush and a little soap(even if you do not use soap scrub with the brush) and just scrub the fruit or vegetable, honestly you would be surprised to see all the DIRT that comes off cucumbers, peaches...etc.

So again make sure you clean them before you eat them you want the benefits of these foods, not the pesticides used to grow them lol!

-Bhay!

Droppin' In

Hey :)
I don't have much to say today, I'm actually in the car on my way to see grams :)!!!!
I'm excited because I have not seen her in a while, anyway WHATS going on out there with y'all?? Hope all is well just make sure you keep them strands moisturized lol you know I had to throw a lil suuuuum sum in about hair.lol. Random...BUT it is time for me some NEW shoes lol I LOVE my moccasins but lawd knows it is time for some new ones woooomp woooomp I get attached to shoes...even when they get raggedy.

my shoes lol.

Twists

So Thursday I was sitting here,cutting single strand knots out of my hair, irritated because my tangles were OC even though I had JUST did a damn good deep condition, So I realized maybe my hair was tryna yell at me...no more damn wash n go's for a little minute, nooow Yall know I LOVE my Fro, I also LOVE my wash n go, however when my hair is not thriving well, and i see more shedding than usual on my weekly co-wash, detangle and wash n go day, the eyebrows are raised LOL. I have invested TOO MUCH into my hair, to let it break because of tangles, SO I am going to wear some two-strand twists for a while, to minimize the tangles, and in turn maximize my length retention, DON'T get me wrong, MY hair IS GROWING regardless of my wash n go knots and tangles, but I want to make sure it remains healthy, I don't want straggly ends, or thinning strand from knots and tangles!! & I have began working out so, It is easier anyway, aaaaaand many people like them :) so I don't feel self conscience about not having big hair which is my thing!! I actually Washed my hair with Aunt Jackie's Sulfate free Shampoo only because my hair needed clarifying because just Wednesday I did my wash n go which means I had a hell of a lot of Eco-Styler in my hair and I did not want to just co-wash it out because I really did not want any residue ya feel me, and after i shampooed, I co-washed to get my moisture back in with a little V05 moisture milks, then I blow dried my hair(on a medium setting) I blew my hair out after being inspired by Elle(Denimpixie on YT, Quest for the perfect curl) her twists were done on blown out hair and they were so cute to me, So I blew out my hair in 4 sections, and proceeded to twist, I did not use any special method, I just twisted and applied a moisturizer JUST to my ends, mine of choice was the curl enhancing smoothie, I applies a very small amount to my ends, and twirled the twist around my finger to curl the ends, this took me about 3 hours, I am convinced it would have taken less time but I joked around with my parents, and cousins for at least 40 minutes, I never honestly worked at a steady pace LOL. but 3 hours was nothing especially since I was twisting and watching the VMA's! I did good y'all. My plan is to seal and moisturize my twists mainly the ends every two days with light water and coconut oil, or a little curl enhancing smoothie and coconut oil, when they get frizzy I will use a little gel along the length of the twist to smooth it back out.!I honestly plan to wear these for at least 2 weeks before needing to retwist, and then after 4 weeks have passed I will wash and retwist them, this will be my protective style for fall/winter. Below are many ...many pictures of my twists all from yesterday.

Weight Loss& Hair Growth Challenge!

DIDN'T WANNA BE TOO GRAPHIC BUT YOU CAN SEE  WHERE I AM NOW.

Recently I have not been blogging that much, this is because after my birthday which was a few weeks ago I felt I needed to make some life changes. I just turned 20 and I am not happy with my body, I find this an issue because I am so young and I should be worrying about other things like relationships, friendships, dating, having fun and enjoying my youth, but instead I am not and I have insecurities because of my weight and this is very sad and personal for me especially when my social life is effected by this, I chose to blog about it because I try to be as open as I can with my readers so that you guys can relate to me.! I chose to blog to document my life and my journey weight loss has been added to my journey.!! I have been preparing myself physically and mentally for this lifestyle change because it will not be easy and I KNOW I have to stay motivated and focused to reach my goals!It is very hard for me because socially I began to close out a lot of people not because they were mean to me but because I let my own self consciousness and insecurities push me away from my friends, In the past few weeks I have realized all of this and on TODAY AUGUST 16, 2012 I BEGAN THE JOURNEY TO MY WEIGHT LOSS!!!
The things that I have changed and will be doing to ensure my weight loss are:

1. NO MORE SODA/JUICE/KOOL-AID/ PUNCH(only LIGHTLY SWEETENED NATURAL LEMONADE)
2. NO MORE JUNK FOODS
3. NO MORE EATING AFTER 7, AT ALL!!!!
4. DRINK 64 oz. of WATER DAILY, NO EXCEPTIONS
5. TAKE MULTIVITAMIN AND B-COMPLEX DAILY
6. SNACK OFTEN WITH HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES
7. MORE FRUITS AND VEGGIES
8. HALF PORTIONED MEALS ( Meaning instead of eating a whole sandwich eat half)
9. BREAKFAST EVERYDAY
10. EXERCISE DAILY
11. AB EXERCISES EVERY NIGHT
12. NO LESS than 1 Cup of Lemon Water DAILY(helps cleanse and detoxify, ingredients: fresh squeezed lemon juice, cayenne pepper, honey...drink while warm)

In addition to my weight loss challenge I will be doing a " GROW OUT" Challenge for my hair.

1. LOW MANIPULATION OR PROTECTIVE STYLING
2. MOISTURIZE&SEALING MOISTURE MORE EVERY 3 DAYS
3. DRINK WATER 
4. FINGER DETANGLING
5. NO HEAT APPLIANCES
6. SCALP MASSAGE DAILY WITH COCONUT OR TEA TREE OIL

THAT'S ALL FOLKS!

WITH LOVE,

BHAY :)

Confession!!

First I should apologize for not posting in the past few days, I have been busy, busy, busy, but NO excuses lol.

I used the DENMAN today.... yes, yes, I KNOW I am curly girl and I finger detangle, BUT I truly felt my hair needed to be seriously detangled and cared for after my flat iron affair my moisture balance was off to me and my hair was becoming a matted, tangled, dry mess, I deep conditioned without detangling lol yeah I was trippin' I know, and the DC did not take smh so it was tangled and dry the next day, I had so many tangles and knots going on & I  was seriously overwhelmed, My results were GREAT with the brush, My use of a lot of conditioner made the experience not so scary, I mean it was foaming conditioner lol I used half a bottle but I really needed to handle my hair, it was soft BUT dry, I have also bee trying out Shea Moisture: Curl Enhancing Smoothie and I have not got the best results with it yet with my wash and go so tonight after my serious detangling session I prepped my hair for a braid out, and used the curl enhancing smoothie on each section to be braided, I hope it comes out nicely, I think that my hair needed proper detangling before trying it on my wash n go, and honestly I might REVISIT the Denman from time to time because I had barely ANY shed hair& super detangled hair, my hair was so soft and smooth, I could literally run my fingers through root to ends lol, I seriously was impressed with the results, I will post my pictures of the braid-out results using the CURL ENHANCING SMOOTHIE.

With Love,

-BHay:)

Blog UPDATE!

As you can see this is a new look for CoilyCurls, this is so because, I have received a few emails from readers having a hard time maneuvering through the blog, and clicking on the top tabs which I totally blame on the "Dynamic Views" I was using, when I first began the blog I used the template I am currently using now, but as time went on I tried something different, this one is way more interactive then Dynamic Views, hopefully you guys will adapt to the new change!I hope you did not get surprised and think you were o n the wrong blog LOL, it is still CoilyCurls!!! Have fun with the new look.
With love, 
BHay ;)

Bunning it Up

In the beginning of the summer, I experimented with buns:)) Here are some of the looks I came up with. Buns are SUPER easy to do very low manipulative and CUTE, but if you Bun often try to place the bun in a different spot ever so often and not to bun too tight to protect edges.!

I achieved this bun with NO added hair on an old braidout, I rolled and tucked the hair under to make it a bun.

Top of a bun with hair added in the middle

Simple easy WET bun method i did to retain moisture.

Favorite bunning technique. The Roll n tuck under bun .

Faux bun: with Kanekelon hair rolled into a big ball, placed in center of ponytail, hair wet and  pulled on top on the faux bun secured with bobby pins.

Oh...there she is!!

OMG...I know, I know, I know! I made one post and promised to post more....SORRY! I have been super busy new job and I'm still getting used to the hours I work. I was a stay at home mom for over a year. This time, I will stay on top of things. I have a calendar with my work schedule,workout schedule AND BLOGGING SCHEDULE!!!!! While fully introducing myself and my curls I also want you guys to meet Peyton my almost 2 year old daughter...Brielle has posted pics of her latest style! posts and pics coming your way!!!!!!

Sidenote: Wasn't Brielles' latest feature awesome!!!
It can be found at www.hairscapades.com

Length Obsessed

URGENT!!!!
My readers are length obsessed. This is a quick post because I am just too amazed at this lol So yesterday I posted a LENGTH CHECK VIDEO which was very very random and impulsive, I just decided to see how long my hair was, it was not a full blown length check because my hair were in twists and not fully stretched or "straightened" but it did the job lol. NOW of course I can see the stats for every post I publish on CoilyCurls but THIS post had over 100 views so soon after I published it, for real y'all???lol THIS NEVER HAPPENS... like never, it was funny because I am like well what do ya know, THEY ARE READING THE BLOG lol!!! Thanks for reading you guys I am elated to know that I have readers and that you guys are enjoying the content. AGAIN, if you are reading let me know, I would love to here from my readers. Click on that CONTACT link and hit a sista up lol!
-Bhay:)

I've been FEATURED!!!

Click on the link to read my hair story on Hairscapades. www.hairscapades.com
She has such a beautiful site and it is very informative and welcoming, I love it lol. So I am sending my readers over to read her blog seriously you will love it&my hair story!!
http://hairscapades.com/2012/07/24/hair-crush-brielles-hairstory/

CHALLENGE!!!

I was just reading a post on Jamila's site www.collegecurlies.blogspot.com when I came across an old post from about one year ago! This post was the KIM Cole GROW OUT CHALLENGE I was still into my weaves then so I politely ignored this challenge lol and kept getting my sew ins. Now one year natural I feel I am going to fully COMMIT to the GROWTH&HEALTH of my hair(&body)!!! I am at a point in my life where I need to take control to see the results I want. Below are both my hair &health regimen for the next 6 months. From July 11 2012-January 11 2013. After that time period is over I will length check and measure myself and start the challenge over til my 21st birthday in July 2013.! Please challenge yourselves with me if you either have a length goal or health goal lets make our goals together and Stay motivated EACH month I will post an UPDATE on both my weight loss and HAIR GROWTH!!!!!


Health wise I must make certain changes in my diet:

• Drinking ONLY WATER, AS MUCH AS I NEED NO LESS THAN 64 oz a day
• NO CHIPS,CANDY,SWEETS
• Minimize my intake red meats
• Eat Smaller portions
• Snack regularly with FRUIT and or VEGGIES
• MULTIVITAMIN
• Exercise at LEAST 20 min a day...(crunches,squats,jumping jacks, get my metabolism worked up)
• B-Complex vitamin

For my Natural Hair I must continue to do what I am for my hair to maintain its health and length retention:

• Drinking 64 oz of water DAILY!!!!!!!
• Massage Scalp to circulate blood flow for HEALTHY hair growth daily
• NO more hand in hair syndrome 
• Keep it simple and low manipulated
• Deep Condition EVERY week with a Hot Oil treatment
• Co-wash every 2 days(I wear wash n go's)
• NEVER comb but ALWAYS finger detangle
• Satin/ silk pillowcase or Bonnet EVERY NIGHT
• Utilize baggy method on days I do not Co-wash(at night)

Protective Style: Two Strand Twists.

My Top 10 reasons You should try Protective Styling 

1. CANT KEEP YOUR HANDS OUT YOUR HAIR
2. EXPERIENCING BREAKAGE
3. NEED A BREAK FROM A STRENUOUS REGIMEN
4. SAVE MONEY
5. LENGTH RETENTION GOALS
6. CONVENIENCE
7. EXCESSIVE SHEDDING
8. UNCOMFORTABLE WITH CURRENT LENGTH(WEARING IT OUT)
9. HAIR IS AT A STAND STILL
10. LOW MANIPULATION TURNS TO HIGH MANIPULATION i.e (retwisting/ rebraiding for that twist/braid out EVERYNIGHT.)

       Lately I've been noticing my damn HANDS IN HAIR SYNDROME is getting straight out of control I go right to the crown of my head about 20 times a day and scratch, pull on the hair, rake through it with my fingers and anything else I want to do but I wonder why that part of my hair always feels dry...maybe it is because i wont keep your damn hands out of it. I really think i do this because self consciously I know that part is shorter than the rest of my hair, but praise God that it is still growing despite my crazy habit. I was sitting on the couch watching TV when my cousin tapped me and said "there you go messing with your hair again" and I'm all looking stiff faced because she was not lying although i know i need to stop i keep on bothering it and scratching it, it could just be a habit or maybe its something I do out of nervousness but hell it really doesn't matter I just need to quit. My cousin said you need to do a style that you wont touch as much and I was reluctant at first because I'm Curly Girl Method crazy lol aaaaall about moisture so I had no idea what to do. I know my hair needs a small break from WashnGo's because of me smh I will touch it ALL damn day if i could so I told myself Id just wear some two strand twists for at least two weeks-1 month maybe even the rest of the summer(trying to challenge myself&retain as much length as I can) now being curly girl I WILL still incorporate my co-washes and deep conditioning because i know how important moisture is for my hair of course I'm remaining silicone and sulfate free I'm just trying some protective styling protecting my strand against myself lol! Since My hair is really curly and not coarse at all and I have medium fine strands, (my hair is not necessarily "fine" but its not "coarse" at all and it is more fine than medium so I just say I have "medium fine strands"), My twists are not super fat and puffy as you can see in the photos so they are not going to stand longer than a week, ill just co-wash with the twists still in and retwist each one weekly just to keep them from unraveling, I did them around a medium-small size, Im not into mini twists because my hair is not thick enough to pull that look off and the small-medium twists look nice on my texture and density.
To begin my Twists I first started off with a DEEP conditioning with oil treatment, washed that out and let it air dry in a puff overnight, I woke up this morning and went straight to twisting my hair like always I have my "what i wish i would have known" Well although i am satisfied with my twists I can not wait til Friday so I can retwist them this is because I feel like I did not twist tight enough! I twisted down my hair instead of not being lazy and twisting it properly and more tight for a longer time.Friday when i co-wash I am going to twist tighter and try the "sister twist method" because I am wearing the twists out of town and Id like them to stay at least til I arrive to Texas I feel they are a great "on the road hairstyle" being that it takes a whole day to drive from Illinois to Texas.
LAST THOUGHTS- If your hair feels dry and you find yourself touching it all the time or you are not retaining as much as you would like TRY protective styling I have always said it is not for me but I have a length goal and I plan on reaching it, and at some point you must listen to what your hair needs!

Because i twisted on Dry/Damp Hair I did not experience much shrinkage!

My hair can be manipulated straight EASILY if I`brush it it will lay down as I pulled my hair to twist the ends became more straight than curly but they are slowly reverting back due to a little water I spritzed on them.

Family Road Trip!

I love my family it is definitely one of the biggest thing about my personality,Next upcoming weekend My Parents and I will be making a family road-trip down to Texas to see my blog co author aaaaaand big sister  Brittany, the main purpose is to pick up the grandson(my nephew) and bring him back to spend summer with his grandparents BUT we decided to stay for 2 days or so just to visit and I am definitely excited to be able to spend time with the Family, hopefully now we can take some pictures together and we can decide the future of the blog as far as post content.
Im excited because Ill get to spend some time with my Niece :) Toots(one of many nicknames)! So keep reading to stay up to date with the Texas trip Im sure there will be pictures, natural hair, styles, and many posts, never know when us two are reunited!

Back when Britt tried red color

Toots&Her mommy

A look at the fro.

Yes...her hand.is.on.her.hip.! POW!Toots.

Me and Patootie the last time I saw her in April

Big brother duties :)

Priceless!lmao

Scarf UPDO, Im going to force her into a PICTORAL for you guys lol!

Mahogany Curls inspired wash n go.

Usually I NEVER use Eco-Styler but the longer my hair gets the more similar it looks to MahagonyCurls via www.MahoganyCurls.com which I totalllllly LOVE  but anyway recently on her blog she has tried Eco-Styler again on her hair, so I said to myself okay if she can give it one more go I figured so could I especially since gel is known to give you more than 2 day hair, I was all in.So heres what I did:

•  I co-washed my hair
•  left about 20% of the conditioner in
• squeezed the remaining water out
• finger detangled in four sections
• applied a small amount of conditioner to each detangled section
• applied a small amount of Eco to each section
• went through each section and smoothed my curls instead of raking because my hair is much more defined that way
• smoothed down my edges&waited to dry
• PINEAPPLE at night!

The end results are posted as pictures and I loved it HOWEVER I did realized some things I would have done differently like a little more conditioner and less gel, this is because after applying gel to each section I added MORE when i smoothed my curls which was not necessary but at the time I thought it was and it led to crunchy hair which of course I did not like. But, all in all I might just incorporate the Eco once again. Thanks to MahoganyCurls :)

Pineapple to stretch at night.

Right after i finished smoothing my curls

texture shot

Smiling right before bed, slept on my satin pillow case.