Battle of the Leave-Ins.

Battle of the Leave-Ins.

Whether its moisture milk, a leave-in, or hair lotion.... we all know about them and they have become my favorite way to reinvigorate and moisturize my curls throughout the week.  I have tried a few and they are the Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl and Style Milk and the Beautiful Curls- Curl Enhancing  Shea Butter Leave-in conditioner. OK both products are affordable, Shea moisture I got a Target for $9.99, and I think Beautiful Curls was 11.99 at Whole foods.   I have used Shea Moisture products for at least 2 years now with great results, and the Beautiful Curls which is an organic line made by Alaffia  I tried all summer long as a replacement  to the SM (shea moist.) style milk.




JUDGES SAY:

 SM style milk  -------   8!
 BC( Beautiful Curls) Leave -In conditioner a ------------ 5.

So SM wins this Battle of the Leave ins!

Why?

SM leaves hair feeling soft and manageable I can use it multiple times throughout a one week or even a two week period. Love that. I can also use it as a leave-in before I straighten my hair with great softness in my results or I can use it for a quick volume friendly twist-out! So many uses for only $10.00.

Beautiful Curls- I have used this as a leave- in to refresh a wash n go or a twist out. I'll use it as a base for a twist out. I have tried to use this in the same manner as the SM. The first time you use it, its all good, hair feels light and soft with good hold without too much oily feel.  But the CONS are awful... I feel like the product gives hair a "sticky" or "gummy" feeling and it doesn't have much slip at all.  IF you use it multiple times you have to keep applying it each day and hair starts to feel like it has build up. GROSSSSS!  Fail!  But I definitely used it up!

Try it for yourself, what are you fave leave- ins. I'd pass on the BC and get SM ASAP!

Love you all. God Bless.
Living Curly Free,
AGFreed

KISS- Keep it simple

Hello ladies and gents,
I'm wanting to know more about adding fruits and veggies in my diet. Here's the update...
I've had some carb binges that I'm not proud of it, but thing is, mostly I feel like the pizza and normal Chinese food aren't that tasty. Makes me feel like ugh!  Sometimes I'd rather have a good salad. yes Forreal.

So my thing is I try to keep it simple and get things that you can rotate on a reg basis
Tonite it was simple: dinosaur kale, curried couscous(near east brand) and BBQ tofu. I was afraid that BBQ and curry wouldn't mix, it actually worked out. My lunch was a nice simple garden salad.
I am also trying out a couple IMF different greens: the dinosaur kale, Swiss chard, and radish greens.

Review on dinosaur kale:

very hearty and lots to chew, I gotta do my research but Gotta be lots of vitamin and minerals in that. I got them cheap at my local farmers market.
What else is out there that I should try? I'm getting excited about all the diff types of veggies out there.

And I also have to thank God even for the things he provided through mother earth. This journey has made me more thankful for the foods he provided for us to be healthy and happy.

Smiling,
Agfreed
*More on  Dinosaur Kale

Miss jessie's free samples!

This is legitimate ladies and gents. I haven't tried miss Jessie's but can't wait to get my free samples.

Check it out!

3 Free Samples From Miss Jessie’s

via Mummy Deal$ by Brandy on 7/9/12

Miss Jessies is giving away three free samples from their haircare line.  You can choose from Curly Meringue, Baby Buttercreme, Curly Buttercreme, Crème de la Curl Shampoo, Crème de la Crème Conditioner, Super Sweetback Treatment and Curly Pudding.

Head to Miss Jessie’s and add 3 samples to your cart.  If your a new customer click “new customer tab” after adding your samples.  When it asks for your credit card number enter 16 o’s (zero’s) and any expiration date and security code.  Free shipping will be configured on it’s own.

Some are already sold out so don’t wait!

Here a juice, there a juice- Recipes

Juice Recipes toute le monde!

Green Juice Recipe: yields about 1000 ml
6 stems of kale greens (or collards, or chard)
4 stalk celery
2 apples
1/2 lemon
1thumb of ginger (or to taste)
1/2 - 1 cucumber

Drink up!

Beet Cleanse juice (my current fave)

1 beet
2 or more apples
3 carrots
4 beet greens stem (they are great for juicing) or other green
1/2 lemon
3 celery stalks
1/2 cucumber
* add peaches for added sweetness, try lime instead of lemon

Apple Carrot Zinger (one of DH's favorites)

2 apples
4 carrots
thumb of ginger
1/2 lemon

Grapefruit Morning Juice

1 Grapefruit peeled
2 oranges peeled
1/2 lemon
1 apple


Pear-peach morning juice
1 pear
2 peaches
1 apple

Peach- Orange Juice
2 peaches
2 oranges
1 apple


for added luxury you can add strawberry to any of the fruit juice. Delicious!


Hope you enjoy these juices! Let me know if you tried them

Love,
AGFreed

Breville Juicer

This was the juicer that began all this wellness talk.  The Breville. It  is fast, efficient and beautiful too.  I'm telling you the single best investment I've made in my life recently. I sing praises to the Breville.  I think you can get this pretty much at any department store, I got mine from Bed Bath and Beyond, and of course we used that lovely coupon for %20 off.  And it has been worth every penny.  If anyone is interested in recipes let me know, I can post all my favorites here.

Happy Sunday,
AGfreed 

Rawness?

Good evening ladies and gents,
So I want to update a bit. I have had several encounters in the past week that have been pushing me in the direction of holistic wellness.  The things I am most interested in on that deep level, quite naturally have to do with coming to a place of physical, mental or spiritual wellness.  Body, Mind, Spirit.  It started with natural hair, then natural skin care and use of herbal remedies, and now more body health. Always with a nature made twist.  I'm loving this for sure.

To give an update on my more RAW journey.  I have been doing more salads, which are great for the summer (no cooking allowed :-)) And I have kept the practice up of juicing.  Too expensive at conventional market, but perfect for the awesome farmers market nearby. 

Since doing the blog on the uncooked couscous, I learned that couscous is a type of pasta and has gone through some type of process already.  Great information and I love preparing couscous still with a bit of olive oil and a bit of sea salt. Light, fluffy, better than fries or heavy noodles.

The next part of all this-- the wellness path is getting that exercise in. ooooooh, just ooooh! That has always been an area of CHALLENGE! But once its gets a part of my life, then I'll be addicted.

Oh on addictions! My coffee cravings have definitely reduced, I have had coffee since I started back on work, but its less and no sugar recently.  I may move to decaf.

Also on addictions. I love juicing! I love the juices that I make, and they make me feel great!

Lessons learned:
The more you do something, the more it becomes a habit and craving.

 For now we'll keep that balance of healthful food going, without becoming a manic crazy person.  May you all move toward your best selves this summer.

Love,
AGfreed

Wordless Wednesdays

Greens and Strawberry/Tomato Salad, Uncooked couscous!

Insert imaginary picture here! 

I was so hungry I ate it before I could take a pic.
Today I was searching around for an appealing raw lunch.  I'm ascribing to a more natural way of eating where I'm getting more raw foods in my diet.

I settled on using my couscous and making a beautiful  green salad.
 Found on  this website:Her Green Life
Did you know that you can make couscous without boiling water? You just put it in water, it soaks it up and voila, light fluffy and ready to eat. I seasoned with light olive oil and sea salt (a pinch)
I also made a house salad with Greens,Strawberries, Tomatoes, and Cucumbers! This topped with homemade sweet mustard vinaigrette, also found on a website! THANK GOD for the internet! I used apple cider vinegar, honey dijon mustard, olive oil, sea salt and pepper.

Try it sometime for lunch or even dinner. I am in love with strawberries on my salads, its the new tomato.



God Bless,
AGfreed

To Juice or Not to Juice, back to basics

Green Juice, Orange Juice, even Purple juice!
My husband and I have recently gone a cruise and celebrated our two year anniversary in style. Yay G-unit! (Green Team)

 
Its only befitting that we go on a nice juice-feast to restart our bodies and cleanse our bodies as we enter our third year of marriage! WOW!   We were inspired by the movie "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead" on juice feasting. Check it out, it encouraged us to keep going even though we didn't do the 60 days that is prescribed in the movie.

All I have to say is that I loved the Juice- feast, in fact, now that its over-- I miss it. The benefits include: detoxing and restoring health to all your cells with fresh vibrant micro nutrients. Fabulous!
Weight loss I loss about 8 lbs total. After the first day, lost about a pound a day. and did plateau on day 6. 

 Process and Results: No food, just juice for 7 Days. 

The first day was a killer, I was hungry every 1.5 hours, and cranky.
2nd day: Anniversary day: juiced until our anniversary dinner (cheated a little) weight loss: 5 lbs!!!
3rd day: back on juice- fruit juice in the morning, two green juices throughout the day and a fruit juice 2 hours before bed.
4th day: Juicing and exercise. I  couldn't believe it but I actually exercised for 30 minutes. I thought I would pass out, but I guess I had enough stuff in my body to burn through, the juice gave me energy too
5th day: Feeling Good.  Juicing and wanting to lose more weight
6th day: Stomach feeling flat. I liked that  feeling and I had a lot of energy
7th Day: Went to church, and that tired me out a bit. Juiced but took a nap, walked for 30 minutes.
8th day- raw food and soup --- I didn't like eating so much again, except the fruit tasted excellent. My taste buds are totally refreshed.
Today: I made an awesome dish that I'll tell you about in another post.

I'm feeling good, not only for vanity's sake, but there was a real spiritual brokeness that came through. You'd be amazed at how much time you have to do other things, besides think about food. We even avoided going out a lot because we didn't want to be tempted. It all smelled so good.

How do I feel right now? Great. I am on a bit of a vacation too, but I think even three days would have been good for me.  I also am excited to discover new food and tastes and eat more raw food and plants and less pasta(WHICH I LOVE) and potatoes (WHICH I LOVE!) but added some weight that was not cute!

My Goal is to have a more healthful life. Make my health more a priority. I feel excellent just by eating more of the things on God's green earth.

Stay tuned For more on this new endeavor in the Raw Life.
 For recipes just ask I'll point you in the right direction, although a google search is all we used.

Staying Free
AGFreed

ashes ashes, we all fall down, c. booth mask

c. booth Volcanic mud mask is the topic of the day sisters.
I went to my favorite round the way Rite aid, and what is  on sale and has been for the last month on MLK blvd? Organic and wonderful products, no body is buying this stuff and it is 75% off y'all. What!?!? I didn't even think twice these are amazing deals. I got stuff that is usually 15.00 for 4.00 Giovanni products y'all!
Today I went for a wonderful body butter with mainly shea butter! Delicious and my skin is loving it! That was 2.50 and was usually 10.00, and the other wonderful product was c.booth's  Deep Cleansing Volcanic mud Mask.  it was 25% off so it cost me 7.00 in all. Deal!

My experience.  I've heard some great things about volcanic ash and its effects on acne and black heads, so I couldn't wait to try this thing. 

It went on creamy, had a pleasant smell, and I felt like I was in one of those TV shows where the girl orders delivery with her funny lookin mask on. In short ,I felt like a grown woman!


As it was drying it was burning my eyes! I've had this experience before but that was my dietary sulfur MSM mask.  It must be the sulfur fumes.  But you can tolerate it,  it goes away as the mask dries, 
I left the mask on for 30 min.  and after rinsing off, my face really does feel like I had a great facial.  Really clean pores.  I'm going to try it every week for a while.


Update: Honeywash, I've stopped this, not because it didn't work, but I had all these products in my cabinet I needed to get rid of. 
Don't think i'll be going back to the glycolic acid, it was really harsh.  


Secret ingredient: Aloe vera gel. I use it to dilute my face wash and also in my face lotion, for a light but still moisturizing lotion


posts to come:
mood swings and 30's and over

Chemical free, Natural Body care

Past couple of weeks I've decided to try a few more ideas. 

I've put down the glycolic acid, it was drying out my lip areas. not cute! And I tried a neutrogena gel anti-stress face wash. That also I feel was too drying for around my lips. Some how the wash itself, I believe moves its way down to that area even if I try to avoid placing product there.  So I've been researching some other ways of taking care of my skin more naturally.

ACV- Apple Cider Vinegar, as an astringent.  Only on affected areas cause this stuff is strong and will tingle :-)
So far so good- and cheaper than a drug store astringent. The smell is pretty strong but it wears off after a while.

I was also looking for a face wash. I tried plain aloe vera gel, but it doesn't have the same cleaning properties as other washes, so I've been trying another suggested home remedy....HONEY 

 

This beautiful and delicious natural product was right in my kitchen (I prefer it in my tea) and it has amazing antibacterial and healing properties. Only used it for two days -twice a day but already it has been so much more gentle than those products.

Method: 1)  take about a quarter or half/dollar amount and apply with fingers massaging on a dry face. 

2) Massage until really tacky and then rinse off with warm water.  

3) Follow up with your toner and then moisturizer 

Results: 1) you'll notice that your skin doesn't feel stripped like a sulfate(soap) will cause. 

Try it, and see if it works for you.   I will let you know if I notice any changes in my skin. 

AGFREED out

Turning the BIG 3.0

AGfreed 3.0
The newest model of me :-) I recently celebrated my 30th birthday and wanted to give a few of my thoughts on the milestone.

How did I feel the day before?
Horrible! lol Like my life was over, silly me

How do I feel now?
Great! I love the idea and the reality of being 30. 

What's great?
Being able to really say, " I'm too old for that!"  anything that is just nonsense!

Having others treating me with a bit more credence and respect.
Not feeling like I'm a baby any more.
Having enough life experience to help others.
Being myself and not caring so much what others think.

Downside?
Metabolism is slower, more trips to the gym.
Tired more often.
Feeling of more responsibility and sensing time as more fleeting.


All in all I'm happy with my life. I have an amazing husband. I have a good career, I'm settled in a great church. I have a wonderful life. And I"m right where I'm supposed to be.

Can you think of how you feel about the 3.0 model of yourself?  Benefits? Downsides? Resolves?

What's freeing about that milestone?


Talk to me,
Agfreed

aloe/ msm mask, face reggie

Happy Saturday
I hope everyone has a great weekend planned even if it to rest and spend time recharging.  I plan on doing some recharging for sure and of course taking care of some business.

Im going to go ahead and tell you what my new skin regimen has been this past couple of weeks, and really in the last week I've noticed a significant change in my skin.

Back before I got married, I was getting facials and glycolic peels every week for like 6-8 weeks. It was great and my skin never looked so good, it was glowing!
Now that i'm not doing that any more I've gotta find something that works for me, and I have started back using this glycolic facial cleanser and I was getting so desparate I started to use a glycolic peel (8%) from Skin Effects.

I got mine from CVS around here.  So I went hard on that and I also bought a battery operated facial brush/pad Wave by Neutrogena

Now I felt like the mix of the glycolic peel plus the sonic wave dried out my skin somewhat, and so I've only done that every other day, but in between that I also went for the msm mask.
I have to say that my skin is really cleared up alot, of course I still have the hyperpigmentation, but as for breakouts, i'm in the clear. 


I really think the peel helped but I really also think the msm masks helped to restore healing to my skin as well as helped to detox the skin cells on my face.  I've done the mask every other day.

INgredients ( all the rest of the aloe vera gel in my hair bin) and 1 msm pill 1/4 teaspoon.  I mixed it up and let it sit and its ready for use whenever. 
The application is smooth but does make my eyes water, like I'm cutting onions. I let sit for 10-15 minutes until it dries and wash off with wash cloth or even the wave. 

Its been an eye opening process that I can do something for my skin myself without visiting the aesthetician! And that there are some natural ways to heal your skin. I'm looking forward to many more natural remedies. Its been so awesome already.


Till next time,
AGFreed