I’m dedicating this post to reminiscing on our weekend in CLT. A good friend of mine wanted to see Wicked and it was playing in CLT so we booked an Airbnb and a whole bunch of fun activities for two days. If you’re ever in the CLT area, I highly recommend checking out some or all of the spots tagged below:
@ohmysoulusa
My first stop on my CLT trip. If you’re into yummy vegan food this is a spot you’ll really appreciate. It came highly recommended from a friend. I got the wings and french fries. Lots of food, good vibes and vegan eats. If that’s your jam, I recommend a visit for sure.
@ameliesfrenchbakery
Let me just say, I wish I had brought my camera because the aesthetic of this place was such a vibe. Felt like I stepped into a very instagramable fake France cafe. The coffee was delish and then there’s this….
@beatthebomb
Militaryish mission style group games, getting splashed with color and good ale at their bar, yes, please. If you love group games and want to run through lasers and get splashed with lots of color, this is your spot, it was such a vibe and the games were challenging and lots of fun.
So after all the shenanigans from the night before, we needed a coffee so we made a quick stop to @ameliesfrenchbakery for some yummy croissants and lattes. After that, we touched down @bathhousclt for a relaxing 2 hours of steam rooming, cold plunging, and sauna chilling. It was lovely! Well, the cold plunge was sweet sweet torture, but your body adjust and your skin is perfection after it’s all said and done.
To prepare for the main event, we grab some food at @moakorean. It was the yummiest spread of Korean food I’ve ever had. We ordered way too much food and indulged in way too many espresso martinis. Then it was off to see Wicked. Mind you, I never saw part two so the ending of this amazing play was all new to me and I loved every bit of it!!!. Thanks @blumenthalarts for the amazing production.
Okay, I almost forgot, one of these days we did visit @optimisthallclt it warmed my plant loving heart and the Ethiopian food was a vibe.
Shoutout to @paradiso.plantshop for all the plant love. One of my girls bought us two baby plants, we named them Ebony and Ivory. She thinks she’ll kill hers, lol. Possible, but I believe her. Who knows, I might kill mine. Only time and water or lack there of will tell, LOL.
Every so often, I have moments when I feel led to compile some weight loss pictures. I do this not for anyone else, but for myself. Before I go deeper let me just say my eyes are truly deceiving. I have struggled with weight for many years. I know with full confidence that your eyes can lie. I’ve been harder on myself. This has led me to forgo taking pics or tracking progress. It made me feel like progress wasn’t actually happening. This time is different. This time, I’m mature enough to be intentional. I’m disciplined enough to make better choices. This is even when others around me are doing different things. This time I’m consistent in my efforts, This time, I’m focused on more sleep, less distractions and more mental awareness. I’ve had to undo so many habits, and rewire my brain to think differently. This isn’t just weightloss. This is a lifestyle change. It requires what feels like an extreme sacrifice. But it is really just freedom. Its an internal change that really activates everything else. It was a mindset change that said, I love myself enough to try new things, to be bad at said new things, to wait and see results, To allow room to make mistakes and I love myself enough to try, even when trying seems impossible because of current circumstances.
It has taken me so long to see the woman on the far left. While most of the battle was in the kitchen, it was really in my mind. Our minds are so powerful. One simple thought can spiral into a world of deception. It can make you believe you can’t change the things you want to change. I started reducing my social media intake even more. When I do get online, I’m seeking content that feeds my soul and keeps my thoughts at peace. P.S., that kind of content is hard to come by these days. My mind had to align with my body and goals before I started to see really big changes. Alignment is everything. For once in my life, I feel a sense of alignment. Things are slowly coming back together after a long time of brokenness.
I hope this post finds you and embraces you like a warm hug.
Your mind is a garden, your thoughts are the seeds, you can grow flowers or you can grow weeds.
I have been going strong with natural hair since 2008. I can tell you that I have learned some things over the years. Looking back at my old haircare routines makes me want to cringe. I’ve found that simplicity and fewer products have allowed my hair to flourish in unimaginable ways. I was just doing too much back then. Sadly, I must admit, I was caught in the excitement of buying new products. In hindsight, they did absolutely nothing for my hair. Today I’m sharing a few things I just don’t do anymore. They are either pointless, expensive, or a sheer waste of my time. I’m a mom of two now. Motherhood has forced me to assess how I really spend my time. I’ve begun cutting out pieces of my life that were simply just wasting it. I hope you find this info helpful. If any of this resonates with you, please share your feedback in the comment section.
Co-washing
Co-washing just increased my shedding. After co-washing, my scalp felt yucky, full of build-up and it just wasn’t clean. I did it because I hadn’t found any shampoos gentle enough for my hair. My hair has always been sensitive to shampoo. It took a lot of trial and error to find something that cleaned my hair and scalp without causing damage. My hair needed a product it could handle and not feel like straw at the end of the day. Co-washing just caused more build-up and weighed my curls and coils down. My hair lacked volume and shed way more than it should have. I have FINALLY found a gentle shampoo my hair doesn’t hate. If you’re interested, you can check it out here. Note: This is not a sponsored post. I just like helping when I can.
Long-Term Protective Styles
I love a protective style just as much as the next girlie, but I learned my lesson 2 years ago. My edges were literally obliterated from keeping some knotless braids in for two months. This is my personal opinion, but you need to wash your dang hair regularly. I wash once a week. Unfortunately, with a lot of protective styles, you can’t really do that. I just kept that hair in way too long and my edges just paid the price for it. I lost so much hair and the shedding and knots was insane. I thought I got my money’s worth. However, I lost a lot of hair in the end, so did I? I think, no. I’m still trying to rehab and grow it back. If you ask me, don’t keep that protective style in more than a month. Just my opinion.
ACV AS A CLEANSING ALTERNATIVE
Apple Cider Vinegar just didn’t do it for me, ya’ll. My scalp was still dirty. It didn’t cleanse a thing, but what it did do was waste my time. Bottom line, I need a shampoo. I ditched the ACV years ago and just use to soak my fruit in for a good clean. Let’s be honest, everything isn’t for everybody. ACV just wasn’t for my hair. It has other uses though, so it’s not a complete waste.
BENTONITE CLAY MASK FOR CLARIFYING
I just don’t have time to be doing a clay mask on my hair at this point in my life. My life with two kids and being a working mom is hectic. I had to cut all that stuff out. Unfortunately, clay mask was cut quickly. Bentonite Clay masks made my curls and coils pop and shine. However, I found a quicker alternative. It’s a gentle clarifying shampoo you can find here if you’re interested. I clarify about once a month or once every two months. It depends on how my curls are behaving from all the product build-up. My curls pop right back and when they don’t, more than often than not it’s because I need a trim.
LONG HAIR
Another thing I just don’t have time for is long hair or my big fro. I broke down and got another mom cut last December and I don’t regret it not one bit. My wash day is under two hours and that includes detangling and deep conditioning. One day I’ll go back to the big fro, but for now, this is my life. I’m saving time and that’s what matters.
OIL & HOT OIL TREATMENTS
Simply put, I don’t have time for hot oil treatments. Also, the oil weighs my hair down. I end up sacrificing volume. My hair gets dirty much faster when any type of oil is involved. I actually just stopped using oil all together about a year ago. If my ends are a little dry, I add some Avocado or Sweet Almond oil. Still, oil just doesn’t do much. It weighs my hair down and makes it dirty. I decided to cut it out of my routine. That includes hot oil treatments too. I deep condition once a week and that’s enough for my hair right now.
I hope this post was helpful. Most of my decisions have really been based on my lack of time. Motherhood has really forced me to streamline my haircare routine or prioritize the necessities when it comes to my hair. On most wash days, I do the bare minimum. That doesn’t sound great, but it’s just the reality of life as a mom. As a mom you make difficult decisions everyday that put your family at the forefront. I think for now, this is what works. I hope to grow my hair out this year. I might do my big fro again. We’ll see where life takes me.
Coils Curls & Coffee 