May2

May 2013 Photo A Day #CurlyAndFit Challenge by Lexi With The Curls!

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As most of you know, I’ve been on a fitness journey since February (2/18/13 to be exact). It started with a personal 28 Day Health & Fitness Challenge, where I committed to working out a minimum of 10 minutes every day for 28 days in a row.  Today was day 74. WOOT WOOT!! LOL! In that time, I also completed the 9 week C25K program and have continued running with plans to start the 6 week 10K program next week. I started my personal challenge weighing in at … 148.5 pounds *shudder.* At 5’1″, that was WAY over a healthy BMI. I was very uncomfortable in my own skin, was busting my “fat” clothes at the seam, was experiencing skin and hair issues, and was very unhappy with myself and how I let myself go.

As of today, I have lost 15.5 pounds and feel soooo much better as I’ve taken care of a lot of things that had gotten out of control. So, in order to continue to stay motivated and consistent so that I can drop the additional 13 pounds that I want to lose, I joined another Instagram Photo A Day Challenge!! This time, it’s a Fitness Challenge for May. And, I gotta say, I’m kinda psyched (hence, why I’m sharing ;) )!! I’ll continue my personal challenge to work out a minimum of 10 minutes a day, every day, but I’ll participate in the Photo Challenge concurrently. It’ll be nice to do this with others and to follow their progress as well! Plus, there are some pretty awesome prizes involved!!

Anywho, the challenge started yesterday. I just joined today, but am now up to date with my Day 1 and Day 2 photos! Check it out … ummm … but don’t look too closely at those body shots!!

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Ughh … You ever feel like you look so much heavier in pictures than you look in the mirror?!

Day 1: Starting Point + Goals

Starting Point: 133 lbs
Goals: 1. Lose another 5-8 lbs by the end of the month.
2. Continue to work out every day.
3. Continue running by starting 10K training.

CnF_Day2

Day 2: Sweat 

So, if you’re interested in joining the challenge and want to learn more, head on over to LexiWiththeCurls.com and check out the details here. And, don’t forget check me out @Hairscapades on Instagram if you want to see daily updates!! Check out #CurlyAndFit to see ALL of the challenge photos to get inspired and motivated (if you need it ;) )!!

Let’s get it ladies! 

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So, you know I gotta ask … who else is with me?!?!

Oh, and if you’re joining, post your IG handle in the comments!
(Don’t forget, if your profile is private, we can’t see or comment on your photos!)

 

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May1

Overnight Maintenance: Wrapping Curls?

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Over the course of the last month or so, I’ve been seeing videos of ladies using wrapping techniques to achieve heat-free, “blown-out,” natural hair. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I came across this video by Naptural85 using wrapping to maintain smooth, stretched curls overnight!

via Naptural85

Hmmmmm … interesting!! Wrapped curly hair!! Who woulda thunk?! *lol* Anywho, I had been loving the results from re-twisting/braiding my hair at night (I was getting great multi-day hair), but my strands were NOT loving the daily manipulation. So, I decided to try the wrapping technique to achieve good day two hair from the dry twist-out I’d done with Cantu leave-in and Eco Styler gel (here).

And the results:

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Not bad!! By the end of the first day, my hair had frizzed and poofed just like Naptural85′s. The wrapping technique worked to smooth and calm the frizz, just like it did for her. But, the thing is, it really did stretch my hair more than I would want on day two. So, I didn’t do it again after that first night. I find that loosely bunning my hair overnight helps tame the frizz and preserve the curls, with some stretching, but not as much as seen with wrapping. Therefore, I don’t think that this will become a “go to” overnight maintenance technique for me. But, I’ll keep it in my back pocket for days where I want to achieve stretched and controlled curls! And for those seeking ways to stretch their curly styles, this may be just the ticket!!

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Have you tried wrapping your curly natural styles? If so, how did it work out for you?

Apr30

NBA Newsflash

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hands on a basketballby Weusi

So … when I started writing this, Shelli saw the title and was like, “what is that?”

This is just a little something for you to cause some trouble when you are in the mix with a few  basketball fans.

So … the NBA started in 1949. Why is this important? It’s not. But it is INCREDIBLE to me that, in the 64 years history of the NBA, only ONE man has admitted that he was gay. And it happened on Monday 4/29/13. After 12 seasons in the NBA, currently with the Washington Wizards, Jason Collins says, “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.” Now, why is a straight male writing about it on a natural hair blog?

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Because this is the kind of moment in time that will be easily brushed over. Yet if you consider the power and influence some professional athletes have in American culture, it is of great social importance. It can be called significant by different people for different reasons. I am not here to direct the conversation in any direction. You don’t have to reply to this post. I just want to share the information. OK … but for real … I do hope that you bring this up in different circles! 

Read the essay written by Jason Collins for SportsIllustrated.com here.

And here are words of support from other athletes.

Now that you are equipped with some tools to cause some trouble … my work is done here!

SHiNE

(P.S. Because I’m a soccer/football fan and am hoping that there are people in other soccer/football countries that read this, I’m throwing this in too.)

Apr30

42: Part II

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42-Movie-Chadwick-Boseman looking backby Weusi

 

“42″ was number one at the box office its opening weekend and my dude Chadwick Boseman was everywhere in the media! He even got a style spread in TIME Magazine.

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Shelli and I saw the movie. I enjoyed it … but, like I said before, I am a little biased. In the end, I wanted more. But I understand that it wasn’t a bio-pic. This was really a G rated family film, but due to the language of the time, a PG-13 rating was appropriate. This could have easily been R rated if it were more depicting American history of the time with a more raw, different perspective. There was a lot more to the story that they could have shared, but this was about his first season. I am sure that if the film would have explored more of his career, it would have delved deeper into his life. HMMMM … maybe they’ll do another film … “the later years?” Yeah, I wish! Either way … I hope that people enjoyed it and will continue to support the film in upcoming weeks. Last weekend, it was number 3 in the box office. Let’s keep this film out there for our kids to see! AND please continue to support Chadwick Boseman!

There was another important outcome of the movie. We see glimpses of Jackie Robinson as a patriotic veteran. More importantly, people looked into the life of Jackie Robinson and went beyond the sugar-coated, storybook portrayal to explore the man. Here we find that in his quest to be a good American citizen, he mindfully helped to destroy the life of one of this country’s most significant personalities: PAUL ROBESON.

ROBESON

As an activist, lawyer, athlete, vocalist and film star, Mr. Robeson was more significant to american history than Mr. Robinson.

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But Jackie Robinson went to congress to speak against Paul Robenson!?! Read more about it here. Years later, Robinson second guessed his actions. Either way, read a little more about the type of man he was through some exerts from First Class Citizenship, where he has some interesting letter exchange between the likes of Martin Luther King Jr, John F. Kenndy, Richard Nixon and Malcolm X. They are all very interesting to me. But I’m a lil’ geeky like that.

That’s all … for now …

SHiNE

Apr30

A Dry Twist Out with Cantu

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Yeah … this is way overdue. So, a couple of weeks ago, I teased the results of using a new product to style. As you’ve probably already guessed by the title (or know from IG and/or Facebook), that product was Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in Conditioning Repair Cream!! I had been hearing about the awesomeness that is Cantu for a couple of years now, but had repressed my inner PJ and never bought it … that is, until I saw the GORGEOUS braid and twist-out results that the fabulous Shaniece (aka PGneiicey of YouTube) was getting using it!! Now, I know … 90% of those results are due to the fact that her hair is stinkin’ AMAZE-A-BALLS. But, you know, that never stops a PJ.

So, yeah … when Wei and I stopped at Target a couple of weeks ago and were perusing the hair care/body care aisles in search of some Shea Moisture Body Wash for him, I saw the Cantu. And I snagged the Cantu (along with a jar of SM Raw Shea Restorative Mask … had to restock).

Here’s a little information about the Cantu leave-in:

via NaturallyCurly.com

Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream is an intensive deep penetrating leave in cream conditioning treatment that is made with pure shea butter and other natural oils to stop and mend breakage, repair split ends, and add manageability and shine with every application.
Product Attributes: moisture, shine, detangling, frizz control, anti-humectant

Ingredients
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Glycine Soja Oil (Soybean), Propylene Glycol, Polyquaternium 37, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, PPG 1 Trideceth 6, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Stearalkonium Chloride, Trimethylsilylamodimethicone, Panthenol, PPG 1-PPG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether, Lanolin Oil, Cinnamidopropyl Trimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Acrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride/Acrylamide Copolymer, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Benzophenone 3, BHA, BHT, Zea Mays Oil (Corn), Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, DMDM Hydantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance
Ingredient Attributes: sulfate free, paraben free

So, later that night, I decided that I wanted to try a dry twist-out with my newest acquisition. First, I finger detangled my dry, 8 day old twist-out (which was still looking pretty good, if I must do say so myself) …

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Then, I set my hair in an 8 twist, dry twist-out with a combo of Cantu leave-in and Eco Styler Olive Oil gel …

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The next morning I released to some pretty awesome results!

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My hair was shiny, defined, light (not “producty” or greasy at all), and flake-free (seems some have had that problem with Cantu/gel combos). So, I was very pleased with the results!!

Tomorrow … Overnight Maintenance: A New Bedtime Technique and Day 2 hair!

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 Have you tried/do you use Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in Conditioner? How did/do you use it? How did/do you like it?

Apr29

28 Day Fitness Challenge: Days 50-70

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Day68

Okay, I have to get ready to head to the gym in a few. But, I know I have been seriously MIA on the blog for the last several weeks. So, I wanted to give a quick update in regard to my personal fitness challenge. First, I have now worked out for a minimum of 10 minutes a day for 70 days in a row. More importantly for me, I completed C25K on Friday!!! I did C25K in 2011, but think I fell off of it the last week/week and a half. I didn’t fall of because I ran into a wall (no pun intended ;) , but because I took a break immediately before competing in a Rugged Maniac 5K obstacle race.

Anywho, I’m very excited to say that I am now running for 30 minutes at 5.4 mph! It ain’t quite easy yet, but I can do it!! I’m NOT happy to say that my treadmill broke at week 7 of C25K and I have yet to get my new one. So, I had to start going to the gym to run (yeah … I don’t run outside … yet. Now that’s it’s warming up, I’ll give it a try on the weekend). I should have my new NordicTrak by this Wednesday and will be happy to not have to run back and forth to the gym at 6 am.

Okay, it’s about time for me to get dressed to get out of here. But, here is a pictorial rundown of Days 50-70. If you want to get details of what I did each day, check out my Instagram or Facebook pages (I think you can check-out Instagram w/out being a subscriber!).

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The scale has been stuck the last few weeks … I went down to 134, but have been up and down the last two weeks. I know it’s because I’ve been pretty lackadaisical about dinner and have been relaxing my eating on weekends. So, this week, I’m going to get back on track with consistently eating a balanced dinner and watching what I eat on the weekends. Regardless of what’s going on with the scale, I’m definitely seeing progress.

progress

And finally, I’m really going to try to give some hair updates this week! I plan to do a post every night after work, but I’m just so exhausted and have no desire to focus on a computer long enough to compose a lucid and worthwhile post!! So, I just do quick hits on IG, which I share on FB and Twitter!! If you follow me on any of those, you know that it has been an eventful few weeks in regard to wash day. I’ve tried new products, new techniques and had a traumatic detangling experience last weekend. Visions of a third big chop were floating through my head. But, I survived with (most of the) hair on my head! So yeah, I might not write as much as I usually do, but I’m going to really try to give you guys a little something! Thank you for your patience!!

Lata Gatas!!

Apr20

Dove Digs Beyond Skin Deep

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Yeah. I know. I’ve been absentee for a while. But, I’ll be back soon with hair and fitness updates. However, the reason I’m popping on here really quickly is because I just had to share this powerful ad by Dove. We’ve heard it said time and time again that we as women are often our worst critics. This Dove experiment put that statement to the test.

Powerful, huh?

Click here to see more of the sketches.