Kinky Curly Curling Custard

What is that you say? Yes, Kinky Curly Curling Custard, from here on KCCC, is the new product I am trying on my hair. This product combined with Kinky Curly Knot Today (KCKT) is supposed to give all curly hair types amazing, curly, bouncy hair. This can be used for ethnic and non-ethnic hair...all curlies. That is the claim. And the product also says that it is all natural and organic, if that is important to you. It is to me.

All Kinky Curly products contain NO: petroleum, mineral oil, silicone, alcohol, plastics, acrylics, parabens, carbomer, or wax. Yes, all of these ingredients can be found in conventional hair products and are not good for curly hair.

Ingredients:

KCCC: botanical infusion of water, horsetail, chamomile, nettle and marshmallow, organic aloe vera juice, agave nectar extract, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin e), pectin, citric acid, potassium sorbate and natural fragrance

KCKT: organic mango fruit extract, organic slippery elm, organic marshmallow root, organic lemongrass, cetyl alcohol, behentrimonium methosulfate, citric acid, phenoxyethanol, and natural fragrance

So how do they work, you ask?

Well, depending on your curl pattern you can use one or both products to make amazing curls. Some people with looser curls can use KCKT or KCCC alone. Most ethnic curlies have to use the products together. That is what I did.

Trial 1 (which did not turn out the way I expected)

This was done on clean, sopping wet hair.

I did not use enough KCKT on my hair and once it dried you could definitely see that. Also, once completely dry my hair was crunchy, which from everything I read and all the videos I watched on YouTube is not supposed to happen.

Here are some pics.

Just done. Hair still dripping wet.

About an hour later.

Completely dry.

Can we say shrinkage? When my hair is wet, it usually touches my shoulders. This ended up being a big, curly fro. I liked it, but it was not what I was going for and I cannot wear my hair like that to work. That means that I would have to wet my hair and do it again to go to work. I don't think that is going to happen to often.

Trial 2

On clean (shampooed and conditioned) sopping wet hair add KCKT. You have to use a lot of this and I mean A LOT. I have done this process twice and the first time I did not use enough of the KCKT. For my hair length, texture, and thickness I had to use 1/2 of the 8oz. bottle. Yes, half. KCKT does now come in a 32oz. bottle, so if I really like the results I will get the bigger bottle.

After conditioning my hair in the shower, I divided my hair into 4 twisted sections and left it like this as I applied the KCKT. I completely saturated each section in the product. Then I divided that section into 3 sections and clipped the rest aside. I used my Denman brush and worked the KCKT through the section. I took a small amount of KCCC and put it on the root. Then I took a little more and spread it through the section. I again took my Denman brush and worked the product through the section. Then I twisted the completed section to keep it out of the way. I repeated this process with my entire head.

I can already see the difference by using more KCKT. The curls are more defined and have more hang time.

Immediately after. Hair still sopping wet.

About 1 hour later.

Completely dry.

Trial 1 v. Trial 2

Sopping wet.

Completely dry.

Ok. I think I figured it out. I will definitely be trying this one again. Seven years of being natural and I finally figured out the wash and go look. Not exactly wash and go, but it looks like it. And I wish I had video because it moves and bounces and is not stiff. The hardest part was letting my hair dry completely before I started messing with it. I have serious issues with hand in fro.

These products can be bought online and at Whole Foods and Target (yep, just recently).

Also, check out all the videos on YouTube on the subject.

This is the application video I used for Trial 2. From miss HeatherNicole. Definitely subscribe to her videos. She is great.

Check out Her YouTube video.

Vegas Baby!!

The Hubs and I and another couple went to Vegas for a week. (Who does that?!) Yes, a whole week. We stayed in a time share just off the strip. I had never been to Vegas before and the Hubs had only been once for a trade show, so really, this was our first experience.

Neither one of us a gamblers, so we did not really know what to expect.

So we left Friday the 9th for our trip. We do not fly that often, so I cannot say we usually fly XYZ company, but this time we flew with Delta and I must say, never again (well, unless the price is too good). We were supposed to leave BWI at 530pm EST and connect to our flight in Memphis and be in Vegas at 850pm PST. Well due to weather in Altanta we left over an hour late. So for that hour we were stuck on the plane. All they kept saying was they were rerouting. So there were like 11 different connecting flights in Memphis that were missed by various passenger. We were stuck in Memphis for the night. We got vouchers for new flights, hotel, and food. The flight and hotel I was cool about, but Delta gave us $6 each for 2 meals. What the hell were we supposed to eat for $6 each? So we stayed at the Radisson for the night and ate there for dinner and breakfast, which both sucked and was not covered by the $6. The room was fine and they had Sleep Number beds which were nice to try out.

The best part of the holdover was the next day when we got to fly first class from Memphis to Vegas. First Class baby, yeah. Having never flown first class before, let me just say this is the way to fly. To bad I can't afford it.

So finally Saturday morning we made it to Vegas. We did so much I cannot remember it all. We went to the pool, I got a tan, we went clubbing, gambling, to shows, to Nevada's only vineyard, had fabulous meals, and did A LOT of walking. I even had to go shopping and by some walkable shoes that were not tennis shoes. Oh yeah, I even went to the gym.

I was also able to check of some of the items on my 101 in 1001.

15. Go to Vegas

18. Go to a Vineyard

19. Actually take Pictures during my travels

31. Eat at 10 new restaurants

97. See Cirque du Soleil

Some photos:

Various Hotels

We went to Serendipity the Ice Cream Shoppe. I tried to go to the New York location when we were there, but it was an 1.5 hour wait and that was not worth it to me. They are famous for their Frozen Hot Chocolate and if you ever get a chance to try one I highly recommend it. I meant to take a pic of the one we got, but since I always forget to take pics...I forgot. We did get a shot of someone else's though.

We got to see the water show at the Bellagio.

We went to a Winery. Yes, Nevada, the middle of the desert, has one winery. It is about 1 hour north of Las Vegas. The proprietor is so friendly and funny and they do complimentary tastings. I have never been to one that did not cost some money. It is never a lot, but it has always cost something. Many of their wines are made from grapes for nearby states, because it is a desert. But they do have a small vineyard and they do make some wines there. I think this is the first year they have been able to harvest the grapes and make a sellable product. They also have a wonderful restaurant that has some of the best lobster bisque I have ever tasted. If you ever go to Vegas, take a couple of hours and drive to Pahrump Winery. It is worth the trip.

We also had an opportunity to see an NBA summer league game and it so happens that the Wizards were playing. We got to see the #1 draft pick John Wall in action. We also saw some of the other players walking through the hotels and playing in the casinos. I didn't know who they were, but the Hubs did.

We saw Cirque du Soleil, something I have been dying to do for years. You cannot take pics inside, but you have got to go. We saw KA at MGM Grand. Even the Hubs was in awe. The martial arts is amazing and it has a story line that can be followed. We only got to see one show on this trip, but it was so worth it. And our seats were fantastic.

We rode on the gondolas in the Venetian, but those pics sucked. We went to Studio54 in MGM Grand. And we ate at some amazing restaurants, but they deserve a post of their own. We ate at RM Seafood and StripSteak both in Mandalay Bay. Plus we had coupons that we got from restaurant.com.

I think we walked through every hotel/casino on the strip. My dogs were barking at the end of the day. I definitely needed the extra days off from work when we got back. But I definitely needed this vacation and I enjoyed it immensely.

#28: Read 100 Books

Because I am in grad school this summer and it has really been kicking my butt and seriously time consuming, I had given up one of my favorite past times, reading. But I could not take it anymore. I enjoy it. It relaxes me and helps me shut off my mind and fall asleep at night. So I read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I really enjoyed this book. I know others haven't, or thought it was slow, but I really liked it. And if I am not mistaken, a movie is out or coming out. I am really not sure which. I would be very interested in seeing that. Oh, another thing I love...it is part of a series. You know how I love those. I have already downloaded the next book to my Kindle. And I go out of town Friday for a week so I am sure I will read that and more while I am lounging at the pool getting a tan. Yes, some black people like to get a tan.

Insanity

Image from extremefitnessresults.com

So the Hubs got the Insanity workout videos. And apparently he bought them for me. I thought it was something we were going to do together, but whatever. So I decided to start it today. It is the same format as the P90X that we have except it is more cardio based and you only use your body weight. I like that part because I have enough body weight to get a hellafied workout. So DAY 1 is a Fit Test that you do every two weeks to measure your progress. You are supposed to do a different exercise everyday and be done it 60 days. You workout 6 days a week for 9 weeks. I already know I am not going to get in 6 days a week. First, I do not want to work out that much. The idea is not appealing. 3-4 times a week is good to me. Second, I want to go to the gym with the Hubs once a week so I will be doing something different there. Also, I am trying to workout with some co-workers once a week. Third, I am in grad school, taking 2 classes this summer and it is very time consuming. In fact, I should be doing school work right now.

So I am going to embarrassingly post the results of my Fit Test. I guess I have no where to go but up. So as long as I improve, I should be good.

Let me tell you. I was sweating my ass off at the end of this. You do each exercise for a minute.

Switch Kicks - 78

Power Jacks - 36

Power Knees - 69

Power Jumps - 20

Globe Jumps - 6

Suicide Jumps - 11

Push-Up Jacks - 13

Low Plank Oblique - 30

A blog I read, Fitness Freak, inspired me to get started. But she is the Fitness Freak and I am...not. So her results for day 1 were WAY better than mine. At the end I hope to at least be where she is starting off.

I figure if I am realistic this is going to take me 15 weeks to complete. Maybe longer. I go on vacation next week for a full 7 days. So I will not be doing it there. Because of the couple the Hubs and I are going on vacation with we will probably work out, but it won't be Insanity. It will probably be worse.

I really want to get in shape though. And I have to find something I can commit to. Hopefully this will be it.

I want to get away, I want to flyyyy away!!

Dear God, make me a bird, so I can fly far...far away from here. (said in my best Je-nay voice from Forrest Gump)

Oh yes, I need a vacation. Yes, that is a NEED. I am exhausted. Right now I would not even care where I went. If someone said, you wanna go to Wisconsin or Iowa, I would be all for it. (Nothing against Wisconsin or Iowa, but they are not on my top list of vacation destinations). Sorry. I have no motivation for school, exercising, or eating appropriately. I have been taking copious naps or just going to bed early. And no, I am not pregnant. (Before anyone asks).

Lucky for me in about 2 weeks I will be on my way to Vegas, baby. I have never been there and I cannot wait. On top of that with my days off and the days I will be gone I will be off of work for a little less than 2 weeks. OMG I cannot wait.

It has been a while since I had a vacation. Well, I did go visit some friends in NC for a long weekend. I love going there, would even consider moving there, but it was not the greatest trip. First, the Hubs' truck was broken into the night before we left. Yes, one night without an alarm on the vehicle and someone broke into it. So, we were going to cancel, but after that I just felt we really needed to get away. So instead of leaving early in the morning we left much, much later. After car repairs. Then after being down there for one day, I got sick. I mean real sick. I will spare you the gory details, but it was bad. There is nothing worse than being sick when you are away from home. So I am not even sure I can count that as a vacation.

I did have a girls weekend in AC, but I am starting to realize a weekend is just not long enough.

So I will be spending 1 week in Vegas. Yes, I know that is a long time for Vegas, but I have found some off the strip things to do. And I need this. Hopefully I will come back tanned and rejuvenated. CANNOT. WAIT.

Are GMOs in your garden?

I try to not be preachy to people about my food choices and why I do and don't eat certain things. One of the reasons is I don't like it when people preach to me and another is that I am not perfect in my decisions. Sometimes I don't do things for financial reasons, like I can't afford to buy everything I eat organic, and sometimes because I just don't wanna. I like syrup. Sorry. I do. I tried using 100% pure maple syrup, but it isn't the same. And sometimes I want waffles with syrup. I have cut back significantly, but sometimes I have a craving. Buuut, anyway, I was having a conversation with co-workers about how much we spend on groceries a month. Well apparently the Hubs and I spend more on groceries each month than some families of 4. This does not bother me because as they always say, you are what you eat. So when asked why we spend so much I went on and on about the dirty dozen and GMOs. It was then mentioned that you could avoid GMOs by buying local and from roadside stands. Well, that is not actually true.

Agrochemical multinationals (read Monsanto) are not just manufacturers of GM soy and corn, they are also in the vegetable seed business. And those seeds can be bought for your home garden. How did this happen? Well, agrochemical companies bought up seed companies. So over the last few decades we went from having hundreds of companies selling seeds to a handful. Yes there are some anti-trust questions that can be raised here, but this is more about the environmental and health effects.

So by having a handful of companies owning the seed supply, diversity is seeds has significantly decreased. This leads to increased attack from insects and disease, which then leads to increased use of pesticides and herbicides. But that's ok because the same companies that own the seeds also produce the pesticides. (That was said in my most sarcastic voice).

This basically means that if you buy conventional seeds or if you buy fruits and vegetables from the local food stand there is a HUGE chance that they could be genetically modified. You always have to ask. There is no benefit of using organic practices in your personal garden if the seeds you purchase are genetically modified. You will be wasting your time.

The best thing to do is buy organic seeds which by definition cannot be GM. Research the companies you buy from. And this part can be hard because companies are bought and sold all the time. But basically, it is all in the seeds.

For more information on this topic, go here. They also have a handy flow chart that shows which parent company owns the smaller seed companies.

...and now you know.

Happy Anniversary!!!

Yesterday the Hubs and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary. I cannot believe one year has passed so quickly. The thought is just crazy. I had a great day too...would have been even better if I did not have to go to work. Lesson learned though. We have decided that we will not work the day of our anniversary (or whatever day we are celebrating it) any more.

So, Sunday morning we exchanged gifts. (More on that in a minute.) Went to work. Came home. Then went to dinner. We went to Oceanaire in DC. I love this restaurant. While we were there we were trying to figure out the last time we were there. We know it was for Valentine's Day one year, but we couldn't remember when. Needless to say, it had been years since we had been there and it was far to long of a gap in visits. The food there is de.li.cious. Every day the menu has subtle changes based on what is good at the market. It is also recognized by Slow Food DC as being a restaurant that buys as much local and sustainable food as possible. This is something that is very important to me. Also Executive Chef, Rob Klink, has become a staunch advocate in protecting marine life. So not only did we enjoy amazing seafood, but I could feel at peace eating it, which made it taste even better. They also made special menus for us celebrating our anniversary and we were able to keep them. It was actually the Hubs' idea...he is sentimental like that. One of the many reasons I love him.

Also as part of our Anniversary Celebration, they gave us a wonderful dessert. I believe it was called the Baked Alaskan, but it was a fine layer of chocolate cake, topped with strawberry ice cream (it tasted homemade, but I am not sure), topped with whipped cream. Then it is drizzled with 151 and flambe. OMG. This was so good. I wish I was not stuffed because I really wanted to eat.it.all.

So back to gifts. My DH knows how I love a certain accessory. No it is not jewelry, but it is jewelry for me. I love purses. I am not a jewelry person. I wear the same earrings every day and I only wear rings because they are my wedding set. Other than that it is a rare occasion. But give me a good purse and it will kick up my outfit a notch. You can look stylish in jeans and a t-shirt with the right purse. I will admit I was not expecting this, but I was definitely loving it. This picture I am about to show does not even do it justice, but if you see me in the near future I am sure I will be rocking it hard.

What did I get the Hubs you ask. I got him the Extreme Driving Stock Car Driving Experience at Try It Racing. So he will get to drive at neck breaking speeds around a racetrack. What was I thinking. God I hope he does not hurt himself. I will be riding along for 5 laps. NOT WITH HIM THOUGH. With a professional. I ain't tryna get killed. Nope. But I think this will be so fun. His guy friends are jealous. And to top it off he thinks my gift to him way outdid his gift to me. What is he crazy?

Anyway, all in all I think we had a fabulous 1 year anniversary experience. Cannot wait til next year.