I've gotten a few questions on how I achieve my flat twist out. And believe it or not, it's quite simple. 

I've been wearing my hair in protective styles for the most part these past few months simply because I didn't have time to fool with my hair everyday. But, I was missing my fro, so I had to let her out! I put together a pictorial for you naturalistas to follow along with. Of course, use whatever products work for your hair! 

I started out on an old flat twist out that was dry. Originally, I used the L.O.C method on the old flat twist out, and my hair was just super dry by the end of the day. 

This time around, I used the L.C.O (Liquid, Cream, Oil) method for my hair. I find that my hair retains more moisture using this method as opposed to the L.O.C (Liquid, Oil, Cream) method. The L.C.O (or L.O.C...whichever works for your hair type and texture) method is especially good for these cold winter months and helps with combating dry, brittle hair. This is the perfect addition to add to your winter hair care regimen. Check out my previous post on Winterizing Your Natural Hair Care Regimen for more on how to prep your hair to battle the cold.  

I just part my hair in the direction I want my hair to fall, and then section off sections with my fingers to prepare my hair for the products and flat-twisting. I always do a side part with more hair going off to the left side of my face. 

Once I have my first part sectioned, it's time to apply the product! 

For my liquid, I just mixed in a spray bottle some water and Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner. 

Then I use my holy grail Leave-in Conditioner, the Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream. This stuff never fails me! Moisture and definition for days!!! 

Last, but not least, I sealed it all in with some Coconut Oil. My hair loves this stuff! 

Once everything is applied, I detangle my hair with a wide tooth comb and begin flat twisting. It's important to make sure that your hair is thoroughly coated with the product and that you DETANGLE!

If you're doing this on freshly washed hair, coating the hair with product and detangling is key to a defined twist out / flat twist out. It just sets the stage for your hair for the rest of the week so you don't always have to detangle being that your hair will still have some definition in it. Because of this, you may find that you may not need to re-twist throughout the week (using the Pineapple Method will suffice). Or, you may get by through the week with a few chunky flat twists and that's it. As always, Do whatever works for you!

I don't always detangle my hair. It really just depends on what my hair is doing. Usually if I'm doing this on two or three day hair, I'll just lightly finger detangle only because I don't want to cause any extra tension or unnecessary breakage to my hair from combing it. 

You also may not need to add any more product (maybe just a spritz of water just to activate the product that is already on the hair, and an oil to seal, if needed). 

I continue this process throughout my whole head, and this is what I'm left with:

Put a silk/satin bonnet or head scarf over your head or sleep with a satin pillow case, unravel the twists in the morning, fluff, fluff, and fluff some more, and the end result is a BOMB, moisturized and defined flat twist out. 

And that's it! Pretty simple, right? Anybody can try this same routine using products that work for their hair. Personally, I prefer flat twist outs over regular twist outs. It gives me the definition and length I'm looking for, and there's not much separating you have to do, which means less frizz. 

Hope this helps some of you ladies! 

XO,

Danyelle

Photo Source

Its has been nothing but cold here in NYC, and I can't say me or my fro appreciates the cold weather.

Winter weather can be very rough on the hair — the colder the weather, the more susceptible your hair is to dryness and breakage.

If your hair has been dry and brittle, or if its been snapping and breaking off despite your normal hair care routine, it may be time to winterize your natural hair regimen.

To help you fellow naturalistas protect your tresses during these cold, bitter months, I'll share with you ladies some quick and simple tips to keep those kinks, coils, and curls hydrated this winter.

• Pre-poo/ hot oil treatments :: If you've been leaving hot oil treatments or pre-poos out of your hair care regimen, it may be time to incorporate them into your regimen for the winter months. You hair needs all the moisture it can get. So, what is a pre-poo? Glad you asked that question!

           A pre-poo is a treatment prior to shampooing that uses an oil, water-based conditioner, or a    
           DIY blend on the hair to impart extra moisture prior to the shampoo process. The colder 
           months can really zap moisture out of the hair. Pre-poos help the hair retain moisture during
           the shampoo process so your left with soft, luscious curls instead of curls that are parched even
           after deep conditioning. Pre-poo's can sit on the hair for 15-30 minutes. Not to mention, Pre-
           pooing softens the hair, aiding in the detangling process so your wash day goes a lot smoother
           and is done in a fraction of the time.

• Deep Conditioning :: You may want to up your deep conditioning treatments during the winter months. Depending on how often wash days come around, try adding an extra deep treatment or two into your hair care regimen to ensure that your strands are thoroughly hydrated. For an added bonus, try sitting under a steamer, hooded dryer, or soft-bonnet dryer to allow the moisture from your deep treatment to really penetrate the hair shaft.
• Baby Those Ends :: Show those ends a little extra love with your favorite moisturizer and seal it in with an oil or a butter. The ends of the hair are the oldest, and it tends to be drier than the hair at the root. Show them a little extra love this winter and slather on a little extra moisturizer followed by your sealant of choice (shea butter, olive oil, castor oil, etc...).
• Nix the Shower Cap :: Now we usually throw on a shower cap before stepping into the shower because we don't want the steam ruining our hair. BUT, the winter is the perfect time to let the steam hit your curls. Letting the steam hit those curls rehydrates the hair, so you may want to toss the shower caps for now.  
• Protective Styling :: Aside from all the moisture talk, the best thing you can do for your hair this winter is to tuck those ends away and leave your hair alone. Your hair is already under enough stress with the effects of the elements. Putting your hair into a protective style (mini-twists, flat twisted up do, Marley/Senegalese twists, etc...) puts less stress on the hair from the constant manipulation that comes with everyday styling and will lead to less breakage and more length retention. This does not mean, however, that you should neglect your hair! Protective styling does NOT mean you do absolutely nothing to your hair. It still needs to be treated and moisturized, so be sure not to skimp out on that step.  

That was pretty simple, right? Add these simple steps to your regimen, and your hair will thank you for all the love! Hope this post helps!

XO,

Danyelle

A few days ago, my best friend sent me a blog post from a young woman named Alexandria Nicole's blog, Marrying Young..and Why You Need to Shut Your Mouth About It. It's an interesting post, and it hits home for me seeing as though I'm 22 years old and married. I'd like to share what God gave me not only in reading this post, but in dealing with the opposition me and my husband faced when we were planning to get married.

In Alexandria's post, she talks about all of the opposition people get when they decide they want to get married, especially young couples:

"You don't even know who you are at this age."

"You're too young to get married."

"You're throwing your life away!"

"You two are going to grow old and find out you no longer love each other."

"Maybe you should wait."

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

Oh, and the ultimate:

"How can you marry someone without living with them first?"

I got engaged when I was 20 years old, and I married my husband exactly six months ago on this day. It's not conventional for 20-something year olds to marry young.

My decision to say yes to husband at the age of 20 had nothing to do with me being naiive, but everything to do with my obedience to God.

I knew EXACTLY what I was doing.

I not only said yes to my husband in him asking for my hand in marriage, but I was said yes to God. I was saying yes to God's will and God's plan for our lives.

My husband and I dated for five years with a little break in between before we got engaged. I knew in my heart of hearts that this was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and I knew that he was going to be my husband.

People say things like "there's more fish in the sea" or "you need to see what else is out there before you decide to marry someone." What else was there for me to wait for? Who else was there for me to date? If I already knew what I had, why did I have to go searching for something else "just to make sure?" What's the point in years of endlessly dating people just to see if I was sure about marriage?

There was no point in it.

I knew who I wanted to be with. My decision to get married was not only because of the unconditional, Christ-like love I had and still have for my husband, but for the love, reverence, and obedience I have to Jesus.

My standpoint on it was simple: what does my heart say, and what does God say?

Let me tell you something: When you decide to follow and live your life for Christ, it doesn't matter what the rest of the world says.

Romans 12:2 says this:

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

I wasn't going to listen to or receive the oppositions others had towards our decision to get married simply because I knew that it was not coming from God.

I wasn't going to conform to the ways of the world and second guess myself and what God had already predestined.

One of the major things people were saying to us was that we needed to live together first to see if we were "compatible" or to see how we would react to each other's everyday routine. That my friend, was not an option. Sex before marriage was not an option for us, and living together before marriage would have led us down that road. Living together before marriage would have been the easiest way for us to fall into sin.

And for what? Just so I can see if I can tolerate him leaving the toilet seat up? Or if I can stand him squeezing the toothpaste out from the middle of the tube? All of that was minor things that everyone else was worried about but me.

I know that marriage isn't always a walk in the park. I'd be a fool if I walked into it thinking everything would be peachy all the time.

But, I knew that our decision to get married was pleasing to God. It was God's perfect will that my husband and I get married, and we honored God in our decision to get married. Honoring God was all that mattered to use. We put Jesus at the center of our lives both as individuals and as a couple before we were married, and that's what made my decision to say yes (and my husband even asking me) so simple.

I believe our decision to get married at such a young age is just a testament to our generation of young adults and the generation before us that love and marriage at a young age exists and is possible. It is a testament that young couples are able to exemplify in their courtship into marriage the love that Christ has towards His bride, the church. Marriage is not just something that people in their late 20's, 30's, and 40's do.

It's not settling if you know that the person you are with is the person for you. It's settling if you're unsure of the current relationship you are in and are afraid that it may be your last chance at love (did you guys see the movie "With This Ring" this Saturday with Regina Hall and Jill Scott? That's the perfect example of settling!).

Don't be afraid to be different and set apart.

How can we change and influence the world if we try to be like the world? How can I lead people to Christ if I'm living by the world's standards and not God's standards? God didn't change me, renew me, and set me free from sin just so I can be like everyone else. It is a testament of His unfailing and unmerited love and mercy. He did it so that the fruit of my life can be a testament to the rest of the world and so the same Holy Spirit that lives on the inside of me can transform the lives of those who are watching.

Don't let the opposition from the world shake your faith. This goes to anyone.

Remember what it is that God says and do what is pleasing and honorable to Him.

Source

So, its been a couple of weeks since the holidays, and I'm still finding myself in a holiday rut!

Feeling tired, feeling lazy, and just struggling to get back into the swing of things. We're two weeks into the New Year and I still can't get myself together!

The way I've been feeling some days, you would have sworn i did some major travelling or something. Mind you, I didn't even go anywhere! What's my problem!

Well, if you're anything like me, here are a few tips to help you recoup, refresh, get it together, and just get in the mind frame of getting things done! If 2015 is supposed to be our greatest year yet and we believe there's lots in store for us, we can't start off rocky, right? Right.

I came across a post from Ashlei of Kinks are the New Pink's post on 33 Ways to Rejuvenate Your Mind, Body, & Soul, and she had some really good ideas on how to give yourself a little pick-me-up to get things going.

So, I thought it fitting to not only share her post with you guys, but I figured I'd give my own tidbits on how to get over the holiday hangover and get the ball rolling.

Have a girls night out

Read a book

Renew your spirit man with the Word of God

Watch movies

Set the mood: Light some scented candles and dim the lights

Work out - it helps relieve some stress

Take a hot bubble bath

Cook your favorite meal or dessert

Have a cup of hot tea or some cozy (and yummy) hot chocolate

ZUMBA! (THEE best dance workout ever in life!)

Pamper yourself with an at-home mani/pedi, or treat yourself to one

Watch some of your favorite YouTube vloggers

Write

Prayer, Praise, and Worship 

Take a Walk

Read some of your favorite blogs

Treat yourself to some shopping

Play board/card games

Buy yourself a little bubbly

Smooth out to some old school jams

Take a day to do absolutely nothing!

Dress up (when you look good, you feel good)

Have a good laugh

I will be sure to tackle quite a few of these to get myself back into the swing of things. Renew your mind and renew your spirit. It'll be especially helpful in getting the wheels turning and cranking out those ideas to start working towards all that you want to accomplish for 2015. 

So, are you in?

XO,

Danyelle

Gothca!

I know some of you were thinking, "I thought she was already natural!"

Well, I'm not talking about hair. I'm talking about skincare products.

I've wanted to make the transition to natural skin-care products for a while. Ultimately, it's better for your skin, and you really don't need all of those harsh chemicals seeping into your pores, drying out your skin.

I was a huge fan of Clean and Clear. I used their Continuous Control Acne Cleanser, their Dual Action Moisturizer, and their Deep Cleansing Astringent. As an exfoliator, I alternated between the Deep Action Exfoliating Scrub and Target's Up & Up Apricot Scrub (comparable to St. Ives' Apricot Scrub, but a lot cheaper).

It's pretty obvious that I was a Clean and Clear junkie! Their products worked pretty well on my face, but they were very drying. Even when I'd apply the moisturizer, it felt like I hadn't even applied anything!

So, two weeks ago, I made the switch to Burts Bees products. I've been using their Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream as well as the Peach & Willow Bark Deep Pore Scrub as an exfoliant every other night.

These products claim to be 100% natural. Here's a description of the Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream:

Our rich natural cleansing cream with Soap Bark deeply cleanses, removing dirt, excess oil and make-up. Our best face wash for a deep clean is also formulated with Chamomile and Aloe to gently soften skin and a hint of Menthol known for its cooling and soothing properties. The result is skin that looks naturally healthy and fresh.

• Facial cleanser removes dirt, excess oil and make-up
• Deeply washes with Soap Bark
• Chamomile and Aloe soften skin
• With a hint of Menthol, known for its cooling and soothing properties

Sounds pretty good, right? Well, it is! It gets my face pretty clean without leaving it feeling tight and dry. It feels as if I don't need a moisturizer afterwards, and to be honest, I don't apply one! My skin feels soft, supple, and moisturized after washing.

The Peach & Willow Bark Deep Pore Scrub is pretty good as well. Here are some of its claims:

Formulated Willow Bark Extract, this facial scrub deep cleans pores and gently exfoliates to remove dead skin cells as finely ground Peach Stone polishes for a smooth complexion. Our 100% natural scrub removes dirt and excess oil, leaving you with a refreshingly clean feel and naturally healthy-looking skin.

• Exfoliates with Willow Bark to remove dirt and excess oil.
• Gently polishes with finely ground Peach Stone.

I can't stress enough how important exfoliating the skin is. Exfoliating removes the layers of dead skin cells, to reveal skin that is much brighter, softer, and smoother.

My skin feels uber smooth and looks so much more vibrant. The Willow Bark extract, a natural source of salicylic acid, also helps with breakouts! I had a monster trying to invade my face the other day, and I washed my face with the scrub and it was nearly gone when I woke up the next morning...can you say amazing! No extra pimple creams or spot treatments needed folks. This stuff is the business!

The only thing that I will say about this product is that the ground Peach Stone can be a little rough. The first time I washed my face with this product, it did feel a bit abrasive, so I would suggest gently massaging this product into the skin, as it appears that the Peach stone doesn't dissolve like most exfoliating washes do.

So, if you're one of those ladies who have sensitive skin, I wouldn't suggest this product for everyday use. 1-3 times a week should suffice, especially if you're using a Clarisonic or any type of scrub brush daily with your regular facial cleanser. 

Since using these products, my skin has looked so much clearer and vibrant, and its as soft as a baby's bottom (literally)! To moisturize my skin, I use just a little bit of coconut oil and call it a day. It's super moisturizing, and smells delicious!

I was holding on to my old skin-care products just in case the Burts and Bees didn't work, but I think its safe to say I can toss those bad boys out. If you're looking for a natural alternative to your everyday skin-care routine, I would definitely suggest the Burst Bees line. These products are super affordable (about $7.99 for their facial cleansers....their moisturizers are a bit on the pricier side) and are pretty much everywhere: Target, Duane Reade, Walgreens, etc...

They have many different lines to choose from so you can tailor your products to your skin needs. For other natural alternatives, you can also opt for making your own DIY facial cleanser, which I considered, but I just like the convenience of being able to buy a product, slather it on, and go, especially since my life is so busy and I'm always on the go.

I want to transition into using all-natural body washes as well. I've been eyeing a few of Shea Moisture's body washes. It may well be time to bite the bullet and try out some of their body washes and lotions.

XO,
Danyelle

I've been wanting to get my hair blown out for the longest time! I wanted to try something different with my hair. I haven't had my hair professionally done since I was relaxed in 2011, and I wanted to see how long my hair was and get these raggedy ends clipped. So, right before the New Year, I sporadically decided to get a wash and set at my friend's mom salon.

Her mom owns a Dominican salon, which I was a bit skeptical of because of prior experience. Now ya’ll know how it is when you get a wash and set from the salon— they roll your hair up, sit you under the dryer, blow out the hair so it’s nice and straight and flowy and then pass a flat iron through your hair for an extra touch of silkiness.

I was just thinking about all the heat they use back when I was relaxed—that made me a bit
nervous because I didn’t want heat damage all throughout my head. But, one of my other
friends, a fellow natural, goes to get her hair blown out sometimes and her curls have been
fine. What the heck, I thought. Whatever heat damage I incur can just be snipped out—after
all, it'll grow back!

I think it came out pretty good. It took me a while to get used to seeing my hair straight because I was so used to my hair either being in a puff or just my two French-style flat twists. A couple of hours later, it started to grow on me.

It looks good, but the process to get it where it that straight was terrifying for me! 

I won't go into too much detail cause that'd make this an extremely long post. Let's just say my hair was handled in a way I wouldn't ever handle my hair, from detangling to the roller set, and to the blow drying/flat ironing. Thinking back, wish I would have brought my own products—shampoo, conditioner, deep treatment, leave-in, and heat protectant—to better prep and protect my hair for the heat styling. My decison to get a wash and set was impulsive, so in a sense I blame myself for not taking those steps to make sure my hair was protected, especially knowing that there might be an excessive amount of heat applied(all Dominican salons are not the same).

My hair strands are very fine, making it very susceptible to breakage, so when doing my hair at home, I try to make sure to handle my hair gently so I don’t have any unnecessary breakage. The manner in which my hair was handled in the detangling and blow drying process caused some breakage throughout my hair as well as a bit of heat damage primarily in the back corner of my head and a few strands up front.

The amount of breakage from that section was significant. I would just run my hands
through my hair to smooth in my conditioner and hair would just break off instantly. That just lets me know how weak and damaged my hair has become due to the blow-out.

Don't get me wrong, the stylist does beautiful work and I loved the way my hair came out. However, I don't think I'll be getting my hair blown again any time soon. If I do decide I want to go for the straight look, I think I'll opt for doing it myself. That way, I can control how much heat is being applied to my hair. But, before I even think about wearing my hair straight again, I need to treat it and restore it back to health.

Plan of Attack

I thought about just going to a salon that caters to natural hair for a consultation so they
can assess the amount of damage done and suggest methods of cutting my hair so it can
grow back healthier being that the health of my hair was definitely compromised with this
wash and set. However, I don’t think I have enough courage to take that big of a leap and
chop off what might possibly be a significant amount of hair.

Instead, I’m going to treat my hair myself for the next couple of months and see how my hair responds. My hair feels less dense from all the breakage and heat and it's super fragile. I did a
protein treatment a few nights ago to restore the strength in my hair with an egg, mayonnaise,
olive oil, honey, and I mixed in a tablespoon or so of some leftover ORS Hair Mayonnaise I
had in my closet. I followed up with Shea Moisture's Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner  as to add moisture back into the hair (left it on for about two minutes).

My curls were popping after yesterday’s protein treatment, but it wasn’t feeling as strong
as it usually does after a protein treatment. Hair is made of protein, and I know my hair needs more of it based on how it reacted yesterday (mind you, I haven’t done a protein treatment in almost two months, so it was time). It’s going to take a few protein treatments to restore strength back to my hair. I plan on doing protein treatments every other week (light protein treatments just to make sure I’m not overloading my hair with protein and cause more breakage), and then a heavier protein treatment—maybe just eggs and mayo alone, or Greek yogurt—every 4-6 weeks.

The weeks I’m not doing a protein treatment, I’ll do a regular moisturizing deep condition to give my hair a balance between moisture and protein. I'm looking into some Shea Moisture Products to help with breakage, either the Yucca and Baobab line or the Jamaican Black Castor Oil line....any suggestions?

Lessons Learned

• Bring your own products // As I said before, I wish I would have brought my own products with me to the salon, no matter how crazy I might have looked with a bag full of products for the stylist to use. At least I know my hair is being treated properly before heat styling, which could possibly eliminate heat damage.
• Speak Up // I wish I would have spoken up a bit more, but it was a bit difficult because of both the language barrier and me not wanting to make the stylist feel offended. I've been in salons where I've said something about the way a stylist was doing my hair and they'd get offended about it! Of course, there's a way to say something, but even if something is said nicely, they may feel as if you're telling them how to do their job. I especially didn't want to say anything because it was my friend's mom's salon, and I didn't want to make much of a fuss.
• Blow Out the Roots Only // I think my roots probably needed just a zap of heat and the rest of my hair could have been flat-ironed on a low-medium heat setting. That would have easily done the trick, especially since my hair was pretty much stretched after the roller-set. 

Source

Happy New Year! 2015 is officially here, and I am so excited to be entering into a new season. I am ready for all that the Lord has in store for me and my family in this new season.

I’m a little late with this post, I know, but, better late than never, right? Right!

I’ve taken a break from blogging just so I can focus on school this past semester— It’s been a serious challenge managing writing a thesis for the Honors Program while keeping up with regular classes. On top of that, I had to adjust to married life and learn how to be someone’s wife (post coming up later this month on that). Nonetheless, I am back and ready to get back to blogging!

I thought I’d come and share my goals for 2015. I have it written down for myself, but posting it in the virtual world sort of keeps me accountable. Every time I come back to my blog to write something for you guys, I can check myself and make sure I’m on track and doing what I need to do to accomplish my goals for the year. Maybe some of these things will encourage you to get started and start making things happen in your own life. So, without further ado, here they are:

1. Deeper Intimacy  In 2014, my faith was put to the test. I’ve learned to put my trust in God a lot more than I’ve done in the past. When it came down to planning and paying for my wedding and just managing things going on in my life, God showed himself strong. I kept confessing that our needs would be met, and that we would be able to endure through all that  we had gone through. God saw us through it and poured out a blessing exceedingly and abundantly over what my husband and I could have imagined. I’m learning to stop worrying, doubting, and putting God in a box. Now, I’m not perfect at all—I could stand to read the Word and pray and just be intimate with God. Just me and Him. That’s what I long for in this season.  That you man walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition]. Colossians 1:10 AMP

2. Write it Down, Make it Happen Now, there’s a book out called Write it Down, Make it Happen by Henriette Anne Klauser, but I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. But, I’ve been feeling stuck lately with my blog, not really knowing what to write. Part of this is because I’ll get some really good ideas for content to share, but it escapes my mind because I didn’t write it down! Or, I'll have ideas, but I'm just not confident in my ideas. I’m so used to holding everything in my head, sort of like a mental checklist, and I think this method is starting to fail me. It’s so much easier having something tangible that you can see and actually cross off on paper. I got myself a cute little notebook, and seeing my ideas down on paper actually helps me make them come to life.

3. Keep in Touch After my wedding and having so much fun with my bridesmaids and reconnecting, I realized how much I truly missed my girls. We’ve been friends for ten years, but we haven’t always kept in touch. However, whenever we get together it’s like nothing has ever changed! I want to make it a point to keep in touch with them regularly—not just talking though text message, or social media, but actually going out and doing something with them. While I am married and my priorities are different so I won't be able to do everything I do want to make time for my ladies and make sure to keep in touch.

4. Prioritize Making time to spend with my girls comes with managing my time better. I do have a husband, and throughout the week things are pretty chill since we’re both working and are usually pooped when we get home. Fridays and Saturdays are really the only time we have to spend with each other, and I want to leave one, if not both of those days open to spend time with hubby. I also need to make time to spend with my family! Ugh! It has been a struggle trying to find time to do all of this, while working, going to school, and trying to maintain a blog. In 2015 I plan to have this thing down to a science (or close to it).

5. Consistency With prioritizing comes consistency! I want to be more consistent in everything I do this year: blogging, my time with God, school, spending time with family and friends, etc… Once I find the right balance, I believe things will flow a lot smoother than they have been (because my life has been quite hectic the past few months!)

6. Be Shameless and Fearless  I’ve been doubting myself a whole lot and have been scared to do what it is I really wanted to do, especially when it comes to this blog…And IDK why!! Ugh, I need to get it together. This year, I just plan on going for it—whatever it is. It’s okay to push the envelope a little, right?

7. Take More Photos  I want to take more pictures in 2015. I’ve never been a huge picture person—I actually hate taking pictures sometimes, mainly because I hate how I look in photos. But, pictures are how memories are created. It gives you something to look back on, and I especially want to take more photos with my husband. It’s time we create those memories together so we can look back on and so we have something to show our children once we have them and they get older.

8. Preservation of Self  I’ll be 23 years old in three months, and I want to preserve my body through healthy practices. That starts with feeding my body the proper foods, drinking more water, and exercising consistently. Ever since my honey moon, my husband has been going through different health issues back to back to back, which never happened in the past. It was rare that he ever got sick! It was a stomach issue one week and then a cold or something of the like the next week, and it was the same cycle over and over and over. Me myself, I’ve been extremely tired and fatigued and just feeling really sluggish. Even on nights when I get 8 hours of sleep, I’d still wake up dirt tired. For 2015, I don’t want to just talk about weight loss and healthy eating, but I want to be about it. Its time we start doing something—we are way too young for our bodies to start breaking down and giving out on us in our 20’s.

For the past week, I’ve been drinking two 32 oz. jugs of water, and my body feels a lot better. I’m less bloated, my skin even looks a bit brighter, and my body is getting rid of so much water weight! I’ve lost five pounds already, and it’s amazing how much water your body holds on to when you’re dehydrated and don’t even know it! I also notice that I eat less because I’m full off water, which lowers my calorie intake. It’s just about time to get moving and feeding my body more fruits and vegetables so I gets the nutrition that it needs.

9. Protective Styling I want to keep up with protective styling this year. Once school started, I started protective styling by accident. I just didn’t have the time to worry about twisting my hair up every night for the perfect twist-out, so I wore two French-style flat twists basically every day. Maybe one or two days, I’d wear my hair in a puff, and that was basically it. I want to keep up this routine in 2015, whether it be wearing my flat twists or installing some Marley twists on my hair. My hair has been thanking me for the low-manipulation, and I do see some length.

10. Spend Wisely  I want to be a smart spender in 2015. Before I got married, I was used to buying whatever I wanted when I wanted (whether it was with my own money or charged to a credit card— BIG NO NO!). Things don’t work that way when you’re married, especially when you have to pay this money back! I’m learning to be a smart spender, only spending money on things I need.  Of course, I buy something I want every now and then, like a new beauty or hair product or a clothing item. My rule now is if I don’t have the cash for it, I don’t buy it, no matter how much I try to convince myself (and hubby lol) that I need it. I’m learning to be content with what I have, and not feeling like I need to buy everything.

So, that’s it for my goals for 2015! I hope everyone has had a great and productive New Year so far and has started 2015 off with a bang! What are some of your goals for 2015?