Summertime is the best time to use protective styles to protect heat damage and added stress on your hair. If you are a natural like me, one of the main types of protective styles I use are wigs.
My hair is very thick but the strands are very fine and curly. This makes it extremely difficult for me to wear any kind of braided styles or sew ins because my hair is prone to becoming tangled and dry which causes excessive amounts of single strand knots and damage to my hair. I have to keep my hair moisturized and deep conditioned. The summer is the best time to opt for a synthetic wig. You don't have to worry about styling the hair because the style stays in place, and now they make synthetic wigs that can look just as good as a sew in. Make sure to choose a wig with a mesh cap to keep your head from being uncomfortable and hot in the summer heat. One of my favorite wig brands is the Freetress collection. They make the Futura fiber wigs that you can re-curl on low heat and the wigs tend to look more realistic with believable parting and hair fibers that appear a little coarse and less shiny similar to real hair. The wig I am in love with is the Chasty Invisible L Part Wig. It has a believable part and its a fun wavy bob cut wig. A bob is a perfect summer hairstyle. It comes in a variety of colors and is great for every day wear. I have been wearing my wig for about 3 weeks and it seems to look better as time goes on. I love this wig so much I purchased the same one in Memphis because I couldnt find the color I wanted anywhere in Little Rock. This is a wig you can definitely experiment with and is very low maintenance. Yesterday I received news that would change my 17 year old daughter's life forever...her 14 year old cousin was shot and killed at his home. The devastating news tore a hole in my heart. A 14 year old child killed by gun violence, parents who will never see their son again, and a 17 year old who lost a cousin and now must cope with the reality that gun violence is real.
Speculations about the incident being the result of gang activity, assumptions about drug activity, and accusations that this is the consequence of bad parenting surged Facebook when the news headlines broke. While I consoled my child who I tried my best to keep sheltered from this very moment. There are no words that I could say to make it easier. My heart literally left my body as I stared into my child's eyes. The look she gave me said one thing, "Why?" I would never be able to explain to her why it happened and I was relieved she didn't ask. That was a question I asked myself over and over again and still didn't have an answer. I have done my best as a single mom to raise my child to make wise decisions, not to follow the crowd, and to always think about the consequences of her actions. Yes, I sheltered her from a world that would leave her confused and heartbroken, but at the end of the day, I couldn't protect her from what our city has become. She will eventually heal. I did make an appointment with our therapist, but then what happens next? Will this become a cycle? Has violence become such a regular part of our community that even my daughter who I have protected from this lifestyle will become like so many of her friends who have learned that gun violence is just part of a daily routine? Friends who are now so used to this that they have become emotionless kids whose only response is to make a R.I.P. post on Facebook? I pray it isn't. It does make me hold her a little closer, tell her I love her a little more, and strive everyday to show her and her sister beauty in a world that has become so ugly. Stay prayed up ya'll XOXO Its the return of Issa! As we watch the story unfold and wait to see what happens with her long term beau Lawrence we cant wait to see whats going on with the rest of the cast. Don't worry, no spoiler alerts here.
Every woman should watch this show because the main character, Issa probably channels every woman ( every black woman especially) at some point in there life. Issa is all of us. From maintaining relationships to handling situations at her job. Each scene is comical, relatable, and the witty dialogue added to the cast makes this show HBO's top show in my opinion. From the misfortunes of Issa as she attempts to do her job and provide elementary students with better opportunities outside their community to her monotonous relationship with Lawrence that she begins to question. This show is a show that we all can nod our heads and laugh in agreement that the trials of being a woman exist everywhere. One of my favorite shows to watch is, Hoarders. At the beginning of the show you meet a person whose house looks normal (sometimes) on the outside, but in the inside it looks like a junkyard. Most of the time, the condition of the inside of the house are not fit to be lived in. Later on, when the show talks to the person you find out that the hoarding is usually the result of some traumatic situation that the person kept suppressed. Sometimes the person doing the hoarding does it because they felt like keeping things was away to stay emotionally attached to someone or something.
When I was watching the show one day the Holy Spirit spoke to me and told me that I do that with people. I didn't quite understand with that meant until a few days later when I started to evaluate the people in my life. I have always been the type of person that people would be drawn to, but I've always been somewhat of a bookworm who preferred the company of a select few. Because I didn't have many friends I felt obligated to hold on to the friends I have. It took me awhile to figure out just because someone is treating you badly, some people just aren't good for you or meant to be in your life forever. It doesn't mean that they are a bad person, sometimes God has things in store for you that others may not be able to handle, or some people may actually block your blessing. Sometimes God singles you out so you can tune everybody else out and be in His presence. The one thing I had to learn is how to let go of some people. I wanted to hold on to everybody in my life. I did not think that God saw those people as a distraction for what he called me to do. One of my favorite things to tell people was I had the same friends for years. When God was telling me some of those same friends needed to be out of my life. How was I going to write the book God called to me write if I spent so much time saving friends from their own problems or having drinks at Happy Hour? Alot of times we feel like we have to maintain a relationship with people out of obligation, the time invested, or because of the emotional attachment(the fear of not having that person to provide a false sense of security.) These are some of the same reasons why hoarders hold on to prodigious amounts of material possessions to the point that it becomes hazardous. It could be friendships or relationships with your significant other;not everybody is conducive for the life God wants you to lead or for your peace of mind. We have to learn when to let people go. Some people are meant to be in your life for a season...not forever. Im not saying that you will not meet people from different stages in your life who won't continue the journey with you, but I am saying learn to use discerment to evaluate your relationships. Healthy things grow, but dead things remain stagnate. If you find yourself doing the same things, arguing over the same things, or even feel like everytime you are around someone you are bored or feel emotionally drained when you are with a certain person, evaluate and decide if its time to let go. xoxo I use coconut oil for almost everything. Diaper rash ointment, hair oil, cooking oil, body moisturizer, and now face primer before applying my foundation. Coconut oil mixed with a little facial cream (I use the Dollar General brand. Its i expensive and It has SPF sunscreen.) I use a minimal amount of foundation or concealer and when its applied it makes my makeup more smooth and some highlights my natural skin tone. Coconut oil is amazing!
Coconut oil is also a great oil to add to your deep conditioner because it penetrates the hair shaft really well while moisturizing your hair. Coconut oil is awesome. . According to statistics published on the gun research website, Everytownresearch.org, an average of 12,000 people a year will lose their lives to gun violence.According to the CDC black males are 14 times more likely to be killed by guns than white males.While the gun homicide rate is 25 times higher than other countries. The Arkansas Times reported that Arkansas is #9 on the top 10 list of states with the highest numbers of gun violence.
With politicians fighting for laws that will allow open carry in many states I myself have wondered is history repeating itself and we are slowly going back to the Wild West days? Gun sales have increased as the feelings of security and safety are slowly being lost and replaced with signals being sent to the brain to fight or flight...or as we should now probably call it shoot or get shot. With the average for African American males being more likely to be victims of gun violence some may even argue that this is the consequence of glamorizing violence through rap lyrics. While rap artists argue that their lyrics are explicit poetry that tells a personal story with a catchy beat. We can argue that music doesn't influence our actions, but scientific studies have shown the effects of listening to music and the human brain. From a spiritual perspective it is said whatever you feed your spirit is what comes out through your words and actions.Biblical scholars for years argued that Lucifer, God's most beautiful angel was once the leader over worship in heaven and was cast down to Earth and is now who we call the Devil...Just because his name changed did his job title change when he was expelled from the pearly gates? Lyrics used to tell stories of Brenda having a baby or Georgie Porgie's fatal car crush while drunk driving, even Salt & Peppa's risque popular dance rap anthem, "Push It" all told stories while others gave us a reason to "Fight the Power" and be proud of our heritage. Now, artists like Common who are known to rap more like the rap pioneers of our past are becoming less and less popular with the younger generations. Is this the reason gun violence is polluting our country like some kind of plague? I don't know. What I do know we must find a way to stop this violence. Marching isnt going to help. Black people have marched for years for civil rights, injustice, and now to stop violence but there seems to be no results other than burning a few calories. Paying attention to bills and laws passed concerning gun control will. Monitoring your child's content on their electronic devices and being aware of their activities is a good start. I wrote this to say that gun violence isnt a culture issue, its not a race problem, but it is a national epidemic that is taking more lives each day. It is a problem we must stop before the human race becomes an endangered species(especially our black men) who are being led to extinction by our own bad decisions. xoxo |
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