BEST PROTECTIVE STYLE EVER....CROCHET BRAIDS.

Even though my natural hair is usually pretty easy to take care of, it still requires me to put some work into maintaining it.  But when daddy goes out of town, I don't feel like maintaining anything.  So the boy child got all his hair cut off, the girl child got braids and mommy got...CROCHET BRAIDS.
God bless the people on You Tube for showing me the endless possibilities for this hair style. I love it. I am not so bold to try it myself so I went to an amazing hair stylist in the San Fernando Valley named Amber Harris and told her what I wanted. She hooked me up.
1) I purchased 3 bags of Freetress Bohemian Braid Hair 20"(about $6 a pack). The store (shout out to Wow Beauty Supply) was out of the color I wanted so I went dark black (1) and it still worked.
2) I washed and blew dry my hair so that the wonderful Amber could braid it all up.

3) On You Tube most people just corn row their hair straight back but Amber did my hair in a bee hive pattern. I'm not a stylist so I can't tell you if it makes a big difference but I do know with the "bee hive" pattern, you can't pull the hair back because there is a track going around the front of your head:(
4) Amber cut the hair in half to create the length I wanted and used a crochet hook to attach the bohemian  hair to the cornrows and VOILA....

I've had the hair in for 3 works and it still looks good. I would say best protective style ever,  but let's wait to see how long it takes me to take it out

NATURAL HAIR

 
3 WEEK OLD CROCHET BRAIDS

10...the not so perfect number.

So today is the 10th day of my "fast".  It is amazing how I allow "my thoughts" to overrule "the plan".  After the first week of the fast, I knew I was going to have to make a few "adjustments" to the set menu.  I was going to only eat one meal a day (still no "meat") and continue with no food past 7pm.  Cool.

It's been working out great this week.  Until today.  Today my mind was telling me that my earth would crumble if I didn't have more than one meal.  I was feeling week and sleepy and I just knew that if I had something in my system I would be back to normal.  Well, 2 slices of pizza later, I figured out hunger wasn't my issue.  IT'S PMS!

I swear, as soon as I finished that pizza, the PMS kicked into high gear.  Without giving you TMI, my "time" can consist of horrible mood swings (a new feature added to my system post having babies...Yippee).  SO EVERYTHING AND EVERYBODY IS WORKING MY NERVES RIGHT NOW.....wooooo saaaaaaa!

Needless to say, I will be obedient tomorrow and I will stick to my one meal. And if I feel a little lethargic, I will not combat that with food, how about I  just take a nap. HOW ABOUT THAT!

21 Days of Silent Sunshine

Today I started a 21 day fast.  It is a time of prayer, reflection and cleansing.  The fast was prepared by a local church and they have a set meal plan for the next 21 days.  Well, day one was quite interesting.  I could only eat salad and fruit.  My body was craving a snack in the worst way.  Oh Lord, who knew you could miss a chocolate chip cookie like this.  But I stayed strong (except for a small piece of corn bread that I ate when feeding the kids...moment of weakness....oh and the bagel that I didn't want to go to waste....I'm a mess).  But I had fruit for breakfast and a salad for lunch and dinner.  Even with the mis-steps, I am very proud of myself.

I also learned a valuable lesson today.  SILENCE IS TRULY GOLDEN.  When you don't tell other peoples business, you don't have to worry about what you said coming back to bite you.  And for me, a person with HORRIBLE memory, I can't remember half the conversations I have, so if you said I said it, I can't remember if I did.  So in this moment of cleansing clarity, I will learn to shut my mouth to other peoples business.  I will not jeopardise any of my relationships by having conversations and revealing more than what their eye can see.  I AM A GREAT FRIEND but I am also human and I make mistakes...I am learning from them :-)

It's the holiday season

I love this time of year....

I love sitting by the fireplace....

I love leaving cookies for Santa....and a cocktail...

I love getting to decorate the smallest of rooms...

I love celebrating with my community (Kwanzaa)...

I love spending time with the ones I love...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS...

AND MAY A LITTLE SMILE, CREATE A LOT OF SUNSHINE 

IN THE NEW YEAR!!!

Princess and the Frog....Mission Complete

I know, I know.  Why is it December 1st and I am writing about a party that took place on October 22nd.  Well, it's because frick and frack upstairs limit mommys nighttime "freetime" with "having to go to the potty", "I'm thirsty" "I need a hug".....go the heck to sleep!

Yet I digress....the birthday party was awesome(In my opinion)!  My daughter had fun and so did I, so that is all that mattered.

In the beginning....

If I saw anything green, purple or froglike, I picked it up.  I held on tight to my receipts because I knew I wasn't going to use half the stuff I bought.  But when Michele (the other birthday party planner) and I went shopping downtown, we knew that most sales were final, so we better like what we buy. Downtown is where we got the pinata and party favors.

The set up...

Why in the heavens (if I cussed, that word would go right here) does time seem to speed up when it's almost party time?!  Half my decorations didn't go up, the table wasn't set the way I wanted it to be and I was funky and unshowered with an aunt jemima scarf on my head when the first set of guests arrived. BUT it was hard to smell my funk over all the great food Michele served.  Princess and the Frog is set in New Orleans so we did a cajun style menu.  She did an amazing job preparing the food.  The the decor might have been lacking on the food table, but the food was doggone good that people didn't even notice.

Party on...

The Kids Table

The Dessert Table

The Gift Table

The Jumper

The Painting Station

The Painting Station...Final Product (Each guest painted 3 strokes to celebrate the 3rd birthday)

Eudora's Dress Shop...Dresses for rent

The Grand Finale

Well, I got the Tiana Dress from Costume Craze and it was as cute as can be.  My neighbor couldn't do it so it was mama to the rescue. Since mama is not a size 12, I was swimming like a fish!  That once size fits all jibberish was a lie.  My poor strapless bra kept falling down, I had 2 big safety pins under my arms and I swear it was the hottest day of the year cause I was sweating like a pig.  BUT The kids loved her...Tiana that is!! 

All in all....The Princess and The Frog was a success!!

The Week of the Frog..Planning begins for The Princess and The Frog Party

So tomorrow my countdown begins for the big Princess and the Frog Birthday Party for my baby girl. This weekend the supplies arrived from Oriental Trading. I have to give them a call first thing tomorrow morning because they didn't pack the froggie finger puppets that I ordered. HOW WILL I SURVIVE WITHOUT FINGER PUPPETS. LOL. I will be just fine. My daughter is turning 3 so all she really needs is a simple play date; I don't think the finger puppets will be missed. And that will be $8 that can be placed back in the budget (According to my co-party planner Michele, I have created an imaginary budget that I am doing a great job sticking to :-)

Another way I'll be saving some money is that instead of hiring a character to show up to the party and making me $200 dollars poorer, we bought a Princess Tiana costume from Costume Craze for about $35 bucks. Please pray that when I remove it from the bag tomorrow it doesn't look crazy. I'm trying to see if a neighbor is available to wear it to take pictures with the party guests but if that doesn't work out, Mommy Princess will have to do :-)

Tomorrow I'll post pictures and I'll let you know how my prepping is going. EXCITED!

Countdown to my rebirth: Day 22

Wow wee!! I am so behind with this blog. But those of you reading that have kids know that finding time to do anything "not kid related" is very difficult. But here I sit at 12:30am writing my blog because I promised myself that I would see this to the end.

So let me catch you up a bit on my birthday celebrations. My last entry was Day 30 where I spent a relaxing evening with "The Man". Well, I think that peaceful evening near the fire sparked something in "The Man" because this is no longer my personal countdown, it has become his countdown. Since my last blog, I have woken up to cards, flowers and wonderful surprises.

Day 24 he gave me a word puzzle that was my clue to the days event. Soooo cute. We went downtown to the fashion district which is a spend thrifty womans paradise.

Day 23 I went to I Fly which is an indoor sky diving place. I am soooo glad I tried the indoor skydiving before I did the real thing. I was not feeling it. I'm a cheesy, smily, laughy type of person and none of that could be done in the air chamber without losing all the breath in my dag gone body. I felt like my cheeks were gonna fly off because the air pressure was so intense. But woo hoo for trying something new before I turn 40.

And here we are at Day22....an amazing day. I went to hang out with some girlfriends and when I returned home, there was jazz music playing and candles lit throughout the house. In the dining room there was an arrangement of cheese, crackers and an awesome array of exotic teas. Does this man know me or what?! I am a tea drinking fool. So we sipped tea, relaxed and then he enjoyed the sound of my snoring once I fell asleep half way thru our mini date. Ah, the simple things in life make me so happy.

Countdown to my rebirth: Day 30

There must have been something in the air because my toddlers were on level 10 tonight. Screaming, crying and temper tantrums were in effect the moment they walked in the door.

My son is like TV Mike from Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (no young'uns, not the one with Johnny Depp). If you let him, he will watch tv until his eyes roll out of his head. So tonight, we said homework, then a few "minutes" of tv, then bed. My child got possessed by the Tasmanian Devil and started spinning around the room because we had the nerve to not allow him to watch a full movie at 8'o clock at night. Well, he spun himself to sleep once he didn't get his way and Day 30 pampering began...

DAY 30: ENJOY AN EVENING BY AN OPEN FIRE

I have been in my place for over 3 years and I have never used my fire pit. I think the main reason is that the yard is the home to every creature this side of the 405 freeway. Take your pick, I got 'em. You want ducks...I got 'em. You want raccoons.....I got 'em. You want skunks...well, I know you don't want skunks, but I got'em. But I "man'd up" and took my backyard back from the wild kingdom....and brought the dog and the man with me for back up.

It was sooooo peaceful. We don't get much quiet time together, so it was long overdue. An evening of conversation under the stars is something that I wish I could do every night.

Well, the Tasmanian woke up so I gotta run...

Countdown to my rebirth: Day 31

Again I say, whose bright idea was it to do this countdown! I am exhausted! Day 32's closet task has spilled into Day 31 and it is 1 in the morning so we are technically in Day 30. What the heck. See, this is why people become hoarders. This purging thing is for the birds. My stuff isn't bothering anybody so why should I bother my stuff.

So, ONCE AGAIN there was no major pamper today. Just a continuation of the closet fiasco. But tomorrow, lookie here...I'm getting pampered one way or another. My better half has something planned for Day 30, so watch out now!!

Countdown to my rebirth: Day 32

This dag gone ear infection is messing up my countdown. I've been stuck in the house doing house-like pamper things cause when I go outside I feel like the girl in the plastic bubble. I'm walking on a lean because my balance is off and I am loud as heck because I CAN"T HEAR. But the countdown continues come rain or shine..right?
DAY 32: GET RID OF EVERY ITEM OF YOUR CLOTHING THAT DOESN'T LOOK GREAT ON YOU
Now this was a tuffy. This was one of those pampers that didn't feel pamper-like when I was doing it. You see, I love stuff(that's how my better half describes it). And I have a lot of "stuff"; especially in my closet. I believe that almost everything will come back in style, or it can be worn for a costume party or my kids might want it when they grow up, etc. etc. I HATE PARTING WITH MY CLOTHES!! And I take pride in knowing that I purchase things for a great price. In my closet right now I have about 20-30 vintage shirts that I bought from a costume warehouse for about 7 bucks for a bundle of about 100 pieces. Who the heck can pass up that deal!! I gave away tons and sold some at the flea market, so I basically got the stuff for free (one of my favorite words by the way).
Well that purchase was almost 10 years ago and I've accumulated 10 more years of "great deals". My closet is packed!!! So until I get my dream guest house that doubles as my walk in closet, it is time for some stuff to go.

Don't get scared by the picture...I didn't throw it all out. I'm turning 40 not turning crazy! I just took everything out so I could take inventory and organize. This is a big job. I have clothes every where. I didn't realize I had so much....okay, I'll say it....so much crap!! Am I really going to wear those leisure pants I bought from Lerners in 1993?! I can almost guarantee that I won't be wearing that midriff to any parent-teacher conferences. Why do I have my moms sequenced tops from the 80's...wait...I'm keeping those. They're cute!
So after a few hours of trying on over sized, undersized, out of fashion clothes...I finally tackled part of my closet.
Organized by style, on matching hangers and finger spaced. Boo-yah!!! So just 3 more sections to go in this closet.....then I move to my shoe closet . Help me Jesus!!

Countdown to my rebirth: Day 35

$1.99! $1.99! That is all it took to make todays pamper day a success.

Day 35: Buy a dozen doughnut holes and don't share.

My daughter is an eater. She has a passionate love for food...at 2 years old. Not sharing my food with her is usually IMPOSSIBLE. So once the midday sleepiness fell over the house and all eyes were closed, I went on my mission for doughnut holes....ALONE. The reason why alone is in caps is because mama doesn't get too many ALONE moments. I had been running around with them all morning an they were on fire. They ran laps inside the bank and I had to apologize to a million people in Trader Joes because my kids kept running over everybody's feet with those silly little shopping carts. Who's dumb idea was that? To look at, they're cute. But function wise, a 2 year old turns into a bull in china shop with this thing. Once we got in the wine section, it was time to go because two buck chuck was about to be all over the floor. (And yes, I hear some of you saying, "well why did you give it to her?" Because I wanted a screamfree shopping experience. And, what?)

Unfortunately, out here in Southern California, there aren't any Dunkin Donut shops. (No freaking white castles either. They're killing me!) So I went to my local Yum Yum Donuts for their great variety of doughnut holes. Glazed and....and...and that was it. Really?! And I know the girl behind the counter thought I was a snob because I had the nerve to ask if they were fresh. I'm just saying. They were prepackaged in a plastic bag that was tied in a knot sitting on top of the counter. So I grabbed my pre-packaged doughnut holes, headed home and hid them on the highest shelf in the kitchen. And now that the children are asleep for the night, here I sit munching on my holes and sipping on some milk.....all by myself :-)

Countdown to my rebirth: Day 36

Once again, my pamper moment almost didn't happen today. Being the mother of two toddlers, finding free time is dang near impossible. But after bath time, bedtime and a late night conference call for my sorority, I am finally in the "me moment".

DAY 36th: Soothe and massage your tired feet with a hydrotherapeutic foot spa.

As I write this, I am soaking my feet in some lavender water while sipping on a glass of wine. Ahhhhh, this feels great. Sometimes I feel so guilty when I "sit down on the job". There is a mountain of laundry to do, bathrooms to clean and about an inch of dust staring at me on top of the entertainment center. Oh well!!! I am learning to accept the fact that the world will not crumble if I leave a dish in the sink. If I am going to take care of my family, I have got to take care of myself. And once again, I am doing so in a cost effective way!! I love being frugally free!!

So , now I must go and massage my feet with my Balinese Jasmine Oil from Cost Plus World Market (Thanks for the recommend, Kia :-) I am really milking this pampering thing and LOVING IT!!

Send me some ideas for out of the norm pamper projects, because the book that I'm using is about to have me line and organize every drawer in my house. Uh, no thank ya!

Countdown to my rebirth: Day 38

First off, let me start off by apologizing to Lorraine Bodger who is the author of the book "2001 Ways to Pamper Yourself"...not 500 ways like I stated in yesterdays blog. I guess if I am going to try my hand at this blogging thing I need to get my facts straight. oppsy...my bad!!Back to the matter at hand. So todays pamper item was slightly adjusted. It stated that I should "go to a romantic movie in the afternoon". Well I wasn't in the mood to see romance! So I went to see the excellent thought provoking film, "Mooz-lum", directed by Qasim Basir. Because the film is in limited theaters, I had to trek allllllll the way to Universal Studios to see it (From the West Valley to Universal City, CA is like Long Island to Queens in New York. Not far, but for some reason in LA I have gotten real lazy when it comes to having to drive somewhere.) So because I had to burn money on gas, I decided to park my car at the train station across the street from Universal and take the FREE shuttle up to the theatre where parking is 15 freaking dollars. Chi-ching! And since I have 39 things to do on a very teeny weeny budget, you best believe I had my home popped pop corn stashed in my purse. Shh don't tell.

So all it all it was a great day. I put the housework and the bills to the side and spent the afternoon at the movies just because. Life is good.