Artist Madrid, Naturally

Since before I went natural, I have absolutely loved the Faux-Hawk look. After I big chopped, I patiently told myself that one day I too would be able to rock that look. Sadly, when my hair did grow long enough, it had become much too thick for bobby pins to make LeLola defy gravity in that way. I was heartbroken but I've also kept an eye out for the required hair accessories for the job. This weekend, I picked up these Scrunci Grip Barretts from CVS for about $5. I was skeptical but also kinda desperate. So I tried them... And TADA! They actually work! They are definitely heavy duty but were gentle on my hair. I will say they are kinda hard to put on and take off. But, to me, that just means they are gonna hold my hair and NOT go anywhere!

For the first time ever, I walk/jogged 5 kilometers (a little over 3 miles)! And get this: I did it in under 55 minutes! I really can't believe it! I'll be attempting this again on next Saturday... My first 5k!!! So some details:  I alternated between walking and jogging.  I sort stuck with my 5 minutes/2 minutes pattern for about the first 35 minutes but then I speed walked for the next 20 or so minutes. Then ran the last minute. The most difficult part was the heartburn (I have problems with this anyway but it seems like every time I jog I have a major heartburn episode). I'm at a hotel (yes, I'm out of town again) so I work outed on this amazing treadmill. I mean it did all the normal things (mileage, pace, calories burned, heart rate) but it also had a tv built in! Confession: It was a dream come true! I got to do a 5k, in the air conditioning, while reading subtitles of morning talk shows and listening to my motivational music mix.  They only thing that could have

...A two week break, that is. Why? Because I’ve been busy and to tell the truth, just not feeling it. So I am sitting on the crouch reading a book (sci-fi). And get this, the main character of the story runs to relieve stress. She describes how she loses herself in the run. My next thoughts: If it works to calm down a displaced, outcast girl who is trapped in a mutiny-filled spaceship (and the fact that she is able to find time amongst all that craziness), then its got to work for me! So I've resolved to get myself back in the swing of things (this includes: stretching, walking, jogging, dancing and my arm strength exercises)... August 3rd will be here before I know it!!!

So the deluge continues. I really don't mind the rain, besides that everything is soggy, you have to be cooped inside, the shift in barometric pressure makes me extra achy and what it does to my hair. I mean LeLola isn't in the habit of listening to me anyway. But when you add the fact that every drop of water makes my hair (in stretched state) shrink to less then a third of its length, you can quickly get a hair disaster! I have an event I am going to this weekend and I was planning on wearing my hair out. So now I'm scrambling for an effective humidity control product/process that LeLola and I can agree on. I will keep you updated on what I find.  In other news, I finally gave LeLola a trim today. I wanted to share with y'all how I trimmed my hair this time: 1.) Wash and condition hair 2.) Two-strand twist hair 3.) Let hair dry 4.) Take the first twist in hand and determined where to trim by feeling at tip where hair is extra rough (because of damaged ends) 5.) Snip o

Yesterday was the first day in two weeks that it wasn't rainy or soggy in the evening. So I decided to take my walk/jog outside (with friends). I was motivated and as rested as I can get but the workout was difficult. I mean really difficult. Inside: I had worked myself up to  35 minutes (walking about 5 minutes and then jogging 2 minutes easily). Outside: I could only jog about 1 minute without feeling like I was about to pass out. You guys should have seen me doing my best "Cathy" impression (arms flailing, panicked and perspiring). I chalked up the difficulty to the heat (even though the rain had cooled things down a bit). But after doing some research, I realized there were probably other factors besides the weather. These include: wind resistance, inclines and the asphalt surface. Because of this it is suggested that you at least partially train for a 5K outdoors so you can get used to the altered conditions. Today, I felt like I did after my first time jogging. The

I have decided that every two months I will share with you some of my fave exercise songs and healthy snacks. So here we go: Exercise Songs*: Believer- American Author The Sweet Escape- Gwen Stefani ft Akon That's Not My Name- The Ting Tings Sweet Dreams- Beyonce  Part of me- Katy Perry *These songs amazingly keep me motivated during my walk/jogs. Plus, they are fun. Healthy Snacks: Powerade Zero (Elevated Flavor) (Fruit Punch and Mixed Berry are my favorite flavors) WW Points: 0 per 32 fl oz. bottle I really like the new flavors. They taste like the old regular Powerade to me. Triscuit (Orginial and Dill are my faves) WW Points: 3 per 6 squares Sometimes I just want to eat something crunchy. These fiber and flavor packed squares are an awesome alternative to chips. I know that 6 sqaures don't seem like a lot but they are a pretty good size. I can't even eat one in just one bite (but that might just be me lol). I would love for you to share what