Artist Madrid, Naturally

So how did I do this past weekend with being a Naturalite Ambassador? Pretty good, if I may say so myself. This is what I decided on: On Friday, I already was wearing my hair in two-strand twists. So that night, I used Cantu Shea Butter Coconut Curling Cream to moisten my twists and then twirled them into Bantu knots. I was looking like Jada Pinkett Smith in The Matrix lol. In truth, I hadn’t tried a Bantu knot-out in a year and a half, so I was a little unsure on how it would turn out. LeLola can be very temperament at times. In the morning, I untwirled the Bantu knots and untwisted my twists. I did like how it came out: it was stretched while also being really curly (versus kinky). I did a pompadour in the front and one good-sized flat-twist on each side. This was my Saturday look: On Saturday night, I surfed the Internet, trying to find a way to preserve my curls. It was suggested, on several sites, to make larger Bantu knots for a second-day style. I made 10 Ba...

Cook Time: Less then 30 minutes Makes 3 servings (7 WW PointsPlus Per Serving) Ingredients: 1 cup of cooked wheat macaroni or rotini 1 (3oz) lean hamburger patty 1 cup of Broccoli* 1/2 cup of Soy beans* 3/4 cup of Carrots* 1/2 cup white wine 1/2 cup of water Some All-purpose flour (two parts) Cold water (two parts) 1/4 shredded sharp cheddar cheese *Note: You can substitute with other vegetables Directions: Boil pasta and then set aside In a medium sized skillet, cook beef /patty in some water When beef is completely brown (all the way through), remove from the skillet If using a patty, cut patty into bite size pieces Add carrots, peas and broccoli to skillet Add white wine and cook on medium/high, until carrots are tender Add half of cold water to skillet, then immediately add half of the flour Stir until flour is dissolved Add other half of water and then quickly add the rest of the flour Stir continuously until flour dissolves and the sauce ha...

... Make Sugar-Free Lemonade : ) There always comes a time (or a few) in a weight-loss journey when you look down at the scale (or into the mirror) and you are disappointed. Many people know that even though you may not be losing unwanted weight, you could possibly be losing inches. So tracking your bust, arm, waist, thigh and hip measurements may be a good idea. Here are some other tips on how you can get your mojo back: 1.) Go shopping! I am not saying you have to buy anything but trying on clothes can be a great way of proving to yourself you really are making progress. This also works for trying on clothes from your closet. Go ahead and put on a one-woman fashion show! 2.) Hang out with friends! Surrounding yourself with supportive positive people, who love you, is always a source of encouragement. You can use this time to share your feelings or to just get out of your head for a little while (...and enjoy some laughs). 3.) Stop the negative self-talk! We ...

As I prepare for any special event, a sort of anxiety creeps in. For the most part it's not about my outfit or my accessories. Or even about the event it's self. It is my hair! I will spend hours and hours on YouTube, blogs and Google searching for the perfect hairstyle (and how to recreate it). Let me explain my theory: I feel like all naturalites are sort of like Ambassadors. When we go out into the world, we can either create a positive or negative image of the term "being natural". Now with this being said, I am a reasonable person and understand we can't always put our best foot forward (I know I don't). So the compromise: making sure my hair is as fly as possible on special occasions and trying to keep it as deceit as time allows on regular days (which at times I also fall short of). With all this being said, I will let you know how this weekend's special event hair-do comes out. Also please let me know your thoughts on the subject!

Happy Saturday! We made it through another work week! I wanted to update y'all on my goal of getting a handle on my emotional eating. I am happy to report I doing much better. I am choosing healthier snacks, rereading my fave book (The Host by Stephanie Meyers) when I'm bored and remembering to use a measuring cup when deciding how much I'll put on my plate. Also, nothing like adding good old self-control back into the equation. I love the fact that I get to come here and tell you guys my goals (and slip-ups). It gives me a sense of accountability (which I sorely need). So please, please, please post your suggestions below! So, I was kinda holding on to this for rainy, writer blocked day but I'll go ahead and tell ya: I've started exercising again! More to to come on those adventures... I leave you now with a pic of Chinese candy (yes, it is a sweet corn flavored gummy). What!?! I can have a treat every now and then. Moderation is Key!

I wrote this on 2/15/13: If you didn't already know, I joined WW two weeks ago, in an effort to get myself on track with a healthy lifestyle. I am a planner, so I completely love that I need to loosely plan what I will eat each day. I also love that I still get to make my own choices but I get the guidance I need to make the right choice. To me, it's like having an electronic Nutritionist (for only part of the cost). It is weird-in just two weeks I'm learning portion-control, self-control and what foods are really healthy. And it hasn't been a very dramatic thing. I mean my changes have been dramatic but switching to a portion-controlled, healthier diet hasn't filled my days with more drama then usual. Benefits: 1.) I feel I have more energy, even after running out of my Vitamin B tablets. 2.) I may have already loss some weight (not quite sure, since I just got my scale). 3.) I feel better about what I am eating.

Let me start off with saying: I had a bad week! I was sick. I was stressed out. I didn’t do my hair. I didn’t try to eat healthy. Instead I ate: Pringles, Combos, chocolate chip cookies, Twizzlers, fruit snacks, pretzels, chocolate and ice cream. It’s like this week, I did not care (even though I am so close to reaching my mini goal of losing 10lbs) that I was sabotaging myself by eating a bunch of junk food : ( You might being wondering: “How did I find myself in such a quagmire?”. Well most of it boils down to one word. Feelings. My feelings to be exact. I will have to admit over the years, I have let my emotions control my eating habits. Stressed out with work-have another piece of cake. Fighting with a friend-eat a whole bag of tortilla chips. Mad about something I did or didn’t do or both-eat some chocolate, then a little more and then a bunch more. Find out he’s just not that into me-watch a chick flick and somehow manage to simultaneously cry and gulp down 2 to 3 bowls of po...

Greetings Naturals! Let me start off by thanking Artist Madrid for allowing me to be a guest blogger. In my mind, when I first asked if I could be a guest blogger, I somehow thought that I would inherently be able to motivate myself into living a better, healthier, and more productive lifestyle by encouraging others to do so. However, I constantly come to terms with my never-ending bouts of laziness whenever it is time for me to do something beneficial for my own well-being.   Don’t get me wrong; I am not against being a productive, healthy, and stylish member of society or anyone who is.   It’s just that I have yet to master this. And the problem is most times I’m okay with that.   Ballin’ on a Budget – Why I Went Natural If you haven’t already figured, in connection with my mostly idle nature, I am also cheap. In any case, one of my initial reasons for going natural was an attempt to save some money and effort involved in going to get a relaxer every...