Naturally Curly to Straight Hair

I have had absolutely no desire to straighten my hair! I haven't done so in almost 2 years. Once I went natural 2 years ago, I decided to stop putting heat on my hair.  It wasn't hard for me.  I just loved to see my curls all the time.  I decided in March 2014 to go ahead and straighten my hair due to my straight-hair-loving-hubby coming home from deployment.

I started out with the products pictured below.  I got them from the PX on post, but have seen them in Walgreen's as well.  I simply shampooed my hair, then used my Tresemme Naturals to do a mini deep conditioner, and finished with the conditioner.

After washing my hair, I then used coconut oil to massage in my scalp.  I used a leave in conditioner (any will do) to set my hair to braid in four braids.  I let my hair air dry over a day.  I just put on a beanie when I went out in public.

The next day, I called my neighbor over and she did the dirty work.  She put the serum on each section of my hair and sprayed it with the spray before flat ironing my hair.  Since my hair was already dry, my neighbor said we could use less heat by eliminating the blow dryer and just using the flat iron.  I honestly did not believe the flat iron alone would straighten out my curly hair.  Especially not my wavy roots.  My neighbor knew what she was doing because she got the job done by using less heat!

Now that I could see my length, I could also see my scraggly ends.  I had my neighbor cut them.  She only cut a little because she was afraid to cut much of my hair.  At night to preserve my hair I would wrap it or put coconut oil on it and twist it around into a low bun held with bobby pins.  This kept it straight, but with a little body.  I was only able to deal with my hair being straight for a week.  I eagerly washed it out.  I wanted to keep it for two weeks, but to me, straight hair is more work than my naturally curly hair.  I had to do too much to it daily to style it and keep it in place.  Once during the week I use the serum and sprayed my hair with the heat protectant and used the big curling iron to give my hair some big curls.

Yes this is a bathroom selfie!

Everyone but me liked my straight hair at this point and before I went natural.  I was never impressed.  It was always a hassle for me and I felt that I could never do anything with my hair.  I couldn't make it cute.  After being natural and wearing my hair straight, I felt that I looked very boring and ordinary.  Nothing about my hair stood out to me.  I ended up doing what I always did when my hair wasn't natural, put it in a ponytail.  That was my everyday go to style.

In May 2014 I straightened my hair again.  It wasn't because I got the straight hair bug, but because my Mom who is a hair stylist, was coming to visit and I could get her to cut my ends more.  We pretty much followed the same process with a few changes.  I washed my hair just the same.  That time, instead of braiding my hair and letting it air dry, my mom still put coconut oil all over my scalp, and then used the serum and heat protectant spray in each section before blow drying.  She added a little bit of the serum (to the ends) and heat protectant to my hair again when she went over it with a flat iron.  I used the same wrapping or bunning methods at night to preserve my hair.  After a few days I used the big curling iron again.  That time I kept my hair straight for two weeks.

It wasn't hard to revert my hair back to curly.  Maybe I will save that for another blog post!

How To Stay Healthy On Vacation

Mid April I went away on a work trip for a training.  I called it my "Mommy Work Vacation".  Even though I was in class all day, it was nice to have a little freedom and relaxation.  I missed my family, but after 9 months of my husband being deployed, I needed that break!

Being away from a home for a week can seem like it would be difficult to continue a healthy lifestyle.  None of my meals were being provided for me.  I also didn't have a mini kitchen in my hotel.  This could have definitely been my excuse to say, "forget it, I'm just going to eat what I want, and forget working out".  That would be the easy way out, but a great way to beat myself up when I return home and my jeans be too tight.
I came up with a plan before leaving for my trip.  I didn't expect to continue to loose weight that week, but didn't want to completely ruin all my months of hard work either.  I first requested from the hotel a room with a mini fridge and microwave.  After I checked in, I hit up the nearest Wal-Mart to grab some healthy snacks.  I picked up foods that I could have for breakfast, lunch, and snacks.  That added up to less meals I would have to eat out.  I also got a case of water.  I figured I could buy two overly expensive hotel/airport bottles of water, or a whole case at Wal-Mart for the week.  I got paper bowls, plastic utensils, and clorox wipes (hotel germs ewww).  I was pretty much set.  Dinner was a free for all.  I could enjoy eating out.  Most of the time I would choose salads, lean protein, and vegetables.  A few times I would have something I really wanted because it's all about moderation and balance.

I was also able to continue working out that week while I'm away.  If the hotel does not have have a fitness center, or a good one, it's very easy to bring workout DVD's from home, as long as there is a laptop or portable DVD player if the hotel does not have a DVD player in the room.  I utilized the hotel fitness center.  It was equipped with an elliptical, bicycle, treadmill, free weights, and area for floor exercises.  That's pretty much all that's needed for a good workout.  If there is a great outside space, that can be utilized for running and walking as well.  I made sure to plan my workouts much like I would do at home.  I would get up earlier to workout or do so after class.

The keys to continuing a healthy lifestyle while being away from home are as follows:
1.  Research ahead of time the hotel accommodations for a kitchenette, mini fridge, microwave, fitness                center, etc.

2.  Pack your workout clothes and DVDs and DVD player (if needed).

3.  Upon arrival, find a store to purchase healthy snacks and meals.

4.  Scope the area for surrounding restaurants to plan your eating out meal options.  You can even view              restaurant menus online.

5.  Plan your workouts like you would do at home.

6.  Enjoy some foods that you like, but in moderation.  Remember you do not want to ruin all of your hard          work, or have extra work to do when you return home.

Salad, shrimp kabobs, spinach, and a roll

Breast Augmentation 2 Months Post-Op

*Deep sigh of relief*

I finally feel normal!  I can move completely normal now.  I can lift things, and I don't feel the implants anymore.  They feel apart of my body and as if I have always had them.

The girls have dropped significantly.  The PS was right about, "what goes up, must come down" without any help.  He told me that I didn't have to do any massaging to help my breasts soften and drop.  He was right.  I only massaged the girls early on to soothe the discomfort, and to occasionally grope myself (hey they are mine!).  They of course still have more dropping to do, but are at a nice placement at this point.

Like I mentioned before, I can no longer feel the implant in my body.  It doesn't feel like a foreign object.  Before, I could feel it more so when lying down and trying to get up from lying flat.  I am now able to sleep on my side and don't feel the implant that much.  I'm not quite comfortable sleeping on my stomach yet.  I am also able to sleep bra less, but most of the time I feel comfortable sleeping in my zip up sports bras.  I like for the girls to be contained.

My Before pic, the night before surgery

Speaking of bras, bra shopping is fun now.  I never thought much about it in the past.  In fact, most of the bras I had, my Mom bought.  Yes, well into my adult life, my Mom has bought most of my bras.  My Mom works for a department store and often catch great bras on sale.  When she do, she would scoop all of them up in my size.  Now I have to start from scratch with bras, and it's been fun to build my collection.  I went back to Victoria's Secret and tried on the Body By Victoria bras.  They are so comfortable that I ended up buying a t-shirt bra and a demi bra in a 32DD.  Both have underwire, which my PS says is safe for me to wear now.  Now I gravitate to the bra racks in stores, but quality bras.  It didn't matter where I bought a bra from before due to me not having much to support.  Now it's all about support and comfort.

At four weeks post-op, I went back to exercising.  The one difference that I noticed was that I have to wear a very supportive sports bra.  One morning I grabbed an old sports bra of mine and quickly learned that I can only wear maximum support sports bra.  That old bra did nothing for me!  It proved that I had nothing to support before.  As far as exercise, my PS said start slow and do what is comfortable to me.  The first day I did upper body weights with 5 and 10lbs weights.  I walked and did the elliptical.  The more I worked out and got back in my groove, the more comfortable I felt lifting and then running.  There were some upper body and ab movements that were still uncomfortable, but I'm already getting back to where I was pre-op.  I still can't do push ups, pull ups, and a few other upper body exercises as good yet.  I have started back lifting heavy and is doing great with it.

AFTER!

My incision continues to be healed.  I have been using Vitamin E oil on the scar and coco butter on my breasts.  The scar is smooth and the coloration appears to be ligthening a little.  I am thinking about using a scar strip called Scar Away.

All in all, I am quite pleased with my results so far.  My girls look great and they look very proportionate to my body.  I love that they look natural and if you didn't know, you wouldn't think I had a boob job.