Family update

So...what have the Beckles been up to...
1.  Gardening

 

 

 2. Trying out new hair do's

 3.  Trying on my wedding dress!

 

 5.   and Celebrating Birthday's

 

Until next time,

Ten Minute Challenge!

10 Things I can do in 10 minutes!

1. The girls hair - 10 minutes each!

2. Tidy my home.  Often if it's been a busy day - my home reflects that...so I will set the timer to alarm when my husband is scheduled to get off work.  When it sounds I give each of the girls a job, re-start the timer for 10 minutes and I start a 10 minute cleaning blitz.  This way when Daddy gets home the house looks somewhat peaceful.

3. A workout.  I love the knock-out body kickboxing version from the 10 minute solutions workout series. See their website HERE.

4. Make a smoothie.  Often I do this directly after my workouts.

 

trimhealthymama.com website

5.  Clean my bathroom.  It doesn't take long for this room especially to become a mess.

6.  Fold a load of laundry.

7.  Read a book with the kids.

8.  Call or write a note to a friend.  I am horrible when it comes to keeping in touch.  This is my new challenge for myself.  It really has helped, except in yesterday's case...I called three friends and no one was home.

9. Walk my dog.  Exercise for her and a breath of fresh air for me.

 

 

10.  Blog!  Fun, Fun, Fun.  Write a post and read a couple from others' blogs.

Couldn't resist...This is an old photo of me and Aaliyah that Raymond took.

Until next time,

 

Our Week

Here a few photos sharing with you what we did this week.

Excerpt from my book



curly niki.com...One of my hair heroes

I am in the final stages of writing my book before it goes to publishing.  I haven't found a publisher yet, but I am praying about it and viewing my options.  If you have any ideas please let me know.  Below are a few interesting facts about Black hair.
Chapter One: A Brief History


Our Roots
Initially I intended to spend a lot of time studying the history of our hair from Africa to America today. Thankfully it has been done very well. In my research I found a book written by Ayana D. Byrd and Lori L. Tharps entitled: Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America.” I found this book to be very educational. The following time line is based on information that was found in it. I will make a few comments about specific issues; but if you want to know more, read their book.

Timeline



1444: Europeans trade on the West Coast of Africa with people wearing elaborate hairstyles, including locks, plaits and twists.

1619: First slaves brought to Jamestown; African language, culture and grooming traditions begin to disappear.

1700s: Calling black hair "wool," many whites dehumanize slaves. The more elaborate African hairstyles cannot be retained.

1800s: Without the combs and herbal treatments used in Africa, slaves rely on bacon grease, butter and kerosene as hair conditioners and cleaners. Lighter-skinned, straight-haired slaves command higher prices at auctions than darker, more kinky-haired ones. Internalizing color consciousness, blacks promote the idea that blacks with dark skin and kinky hairs are less attractive and worth less.

1865: Slavery ends, but whites look upon black women who style their hair like white women as well-adjusted. "Good" hair becomes a prerequisite for entering certain schools, churches, social groups and business networks.

1880: Metal hot combs, invented in 1845 by the French, are readily available in the United States. The comb is heated and used to press and temporarily straighten kinky hair.

1900s: Madame C.J. Walker develops a range of hair-care products for black hair. She popularizes the press-and-curl style. Some criticize her for encouraging black women to look white.

1910: Walker is featured in the Guinness Book of Records as the first American female self-made millionaire.

1920s: Marcus Garvey, a black nationalist, urges followers to embrace their natural hair and reclaim an African aesthetic.

1954: George E. Johnson launches the Johnson Products Company with Ultra Wave Hair Culture, a "permanent" hair straightener for men that can be applied at home. A women's chemical straightener follows.

1963: Actress Cicely Tyson wears Cornrows on the television drama "East Side/West Side."

1966: Model Pat Evans defies both black and white standards of beauty and shaves her head.

1968: Actress Diahann Carroll is the first black woman to star in a television network series, "Julia." She is a darker version of the all-American girl, with straightened, curled hair.

1970: Angela Davis becomes an icon of Black Power with her large Afro.

1971: Melba Tolliver is fired from the ABC affiliate in New York for wearing an Afro while covering Tricia Nixon's wedding.

1977: The Jheri curl explodes on the black hair scene. Billed as a curly perm for blacks, the ultra moist hairstyle lasts through the 1980s. Considered by some as the best way to have “good” hair.

1979: Braids and beads cross the color line when Bo Derek appears with cornrows in the movie "10."

1980: Model-actress Grace Jones sports her trademark flattop fade.

1984: Michael Jackson’s hair caught on fire, some blame Jheri curl.

1988: Spike Lee exposes the good hair/bad hair light-skinned/dark-skinned schism in black America in his movie "School Daze."

1990: "Sisters love the weave," Essence magazine declares. A variety of natural styles and locks also become more accepted.

1997: Singer Erykah Badu poses on the cover of her debut album "Baduizm" with her head wrapped, ushering in an eclectic brand of Afrocentrism.

1998: Carson Inc., creator of Dark & Lovely and Magic Shave for black men, acquires black-owned beauty company Johnson Products of Chicago in 1998 from Johnson’s ex-wife. L'Oreal purchases Carson two years later and merges it with Soft Sheen.

1999: People magazine names lock-topped Grammy award-winning artist Lauryn Hill one of its 50 Most Beautiful People.

2001: Rapper Lil' Kim wears a platinum blonde weave, while singer Macy Gray sports a new-school Afro. Some black women perm, some press, others go with natural twists, braids and locks.

2006: Black hair care is a billion-dollar industry.

Your Crowning Glory 101 - Introduction

Just A Note

My inspiration for going natural is primarily my husband. He is the one who supported and even encouraged me to go natural. I began my journey almost three years ago and have had many ups and downs; but now that I have experienced a measure of success; I will never go back!!! I would like to say to all of you who are permed - (a.k.a. relaxed); I am not anti-perm. I do not believe that every Black woman who has a perm is trying to be White. I also do not believe that natural hair is for everyone. Going natural requires time, patience, and a thick skin. I simply want to be an encouragement to those who are natural and need some help and a good word. I want to be an encouragement to those who want to go natural and for some reason feel like they can’t; and for those women who are parents of biracial children with kinky, nappy hair; I would like to let them know how their child may feel and how they can care for their child’s hair. I also would like to say that I am not a professional anything! I do love to learn and have put in a lot of time and research into this project. I also have a new motivation for learning more about caring for hair. My daughter Aaliyah was born with more hair on her head than I had two years ago! I want to teach her to take good care of herself. This book is a conglamoration of things I wish I had known about hair many years ago.






The day I decided to write this book was the day I was holding my five-month-old, beautiful daughter in an office where two other young, Black mothers of beautiful daughters were. One of the babies was 18 months old and had a perm. The mother of this child admitted to me that she found the baby’s natural hair easier to manage. Later stated that she would not go back to natural hair. The other baby was only one year old and had very little hair; but her mother had a very negative spirit about the texture of the hair her daughter did have. According to her, her daughter did not have “good hair.” My heart was broken. Some may say, “It’s just hair!”, but it isn’t. A woman’s hair is a reflection of her.


My hair has grown significantly since I have been natural. One day I two-strand twisted my hair when it was dry so that it would show some of its length. I wore it like that to church and I felt some people staring at me. Two children asked me if it was all mine. Of course I said yes, and one of them said, “I don’t understand.” To which I replied, “I know.” Our children, at a very young age, are being permed and/or given the idea that the hair God gave them is not good enough if it is “nappy.” We are being taught that Black women can only grow their hair to about shoulder length, and in order to do that they must be bi-racial, they must have a perm, or they must grow dredlocks. These statements simply are not true. We must stop this maddness! If you are an adult and you choose to wear your hair relaxed, natural, in braids, locs, weaved, or to wear wigs for the rest of our life; it is your choice; but no eighteen-month-old child needs a perm! God does not make any mistakes! The texture of hair we have is a gift to us from the Lord and it is good, no matter what type it is. I find it hard to believe that our Creator said that a woman’s long hair is her glory (1 Corinthians 11:15) and then He would give every race the ability to grow their hair long except one; or that He would expect that one race to chemically change their “glory” in order for it to be considered beautiful. Whatever God has given you, Accept it. Love it. Learn to take care of it !!!

Another benefit of Spring

One of the benefits of spring that I have recently discovered is...it is a time of hair growth.  One of the books that I read in preparation for writing my hair book stated that during the winter months you hair grows at a much slower rate.  I try not to quote anyone or anything unless it is supported by two other sources, but after looking at my hair photos from the past three years or so, I noticed that this is definitely true for me.  So...if you are planning to get a hair cut or do something drastic with your hair, now is the time to do it (if you don't like it...it will grow back and you won't have to live with it for longer than necessary). I don't regret taking the plunge and chopping my hair off a year ago last October; but if I had known this, I may have waited until April.

Now on to hair tips

I have already given you some advice about shampooing with ACV, a moisturizing/sulfate-free shampoo, or a great sulfate/silicone free conditioner; now on to tip number two.

A healthy scalp will naturally moisturize the first three inches or so of hair that you have; but after that it will need some help.  It is commonly advised that you should brush your hair in order to stimulate your scalp and distribute the oils from your scalp to the ends of your hair strands; but I must say that this is not the best way to do either for Black hair - or anyone else who has curly or thin, brittle, dry hair.

Message your scalp for stimulation while you shampoo (you may also use hair products with rosemary or mint in them for scalp stimulation); apply a moisturizing leave-in conditioner/detangler to your hair after you shampoo it, then apply  a SHEA BUTTER/COCONUT OIL MIXTURE to seal in the moisture.  (if you view the video - I do not scent my shea butter, and I recommend using one TBS of oil for every 8 oz. of shea.  I recommend watching the video primarily to show you that you can scent your mixture and this method is probaby my favorite way to heat it to make mixing very easy.)

I usually twist my hair the day I shampoo it and that helps me to lock in and distribute moisture to my hair from root to tip.  After a couple of days my hair may start to look a little dull.  No problem!  My hairs new, other best friend is Grapeseed oil.  It is non-greasy and imparts a great shine to my hair.

For more information about silicones click here or here.

Hope this information is a help!

Tinyla

Hair Care 101

Here is my official first hair care post.

Hair care in a nutshell - keep your hair clean and moisturized.  My staple products are Apple Cider vinegar (pictured on the left), Shea butter, and coconut oil.  Now, I should tell you that I have added a few things to my Shea butter to make it a little more effective; but I didn't start out with it as a mixture. 

Tip #1 - Do not use commercial shampoos if they contain Sodium Lauryl or Soduim Laureth.  Besides the fact that these things are proven to cause cancer, they are extremely drying!  They also make it necessary for you to use a follow up conditioner.  These two ingredients are used in everything from engine degreaser to toothpaste.  They are what give 99% of our cleaning agents today the "foaming" effect.  Well, it is not necessary to have foam/sudds to get clean. 

Instead, use a shampoo that does not contain these items and shampoo once a week or more.  Contrary to popular opinion, Black people can wash their hair more than once a month and still have beautiful hair left on their heads :). I recommend something like Burts Bees baby shampoo or Organix.  There are others; but I know that you can find these two at Walmart or Walgreens.

As I have previously stated; I wash with ACV for three weeks, then use a shampoo (or conditioner) once a month.  I just recently found a great conditioner at Trader Joes that has no harmful ingredients in it.  I now use it for myself and Aaliyah when I don't have time to make my own shampoo; or I feel that my hair needs to be conditioned (when I notice excessive knots).

For more information about ACV rinses and other benefits of apple cider, click  here.

Hope this helps!

Tinyla

P.S.  You can now read the introduction to my book on Facebook under My Notes.

Progress!

This post if primarily for us "Nappy headed" women, but you sistas of the fairer, straighter haired race may enjoy it too:).

On the side bar I have posted some pictures of my hair and its growth within the past year. In a nutshell, my hair was thinning and never really seemed to be able to grow more than six inches or so. I started thinking, why is it that a good God would allow every race, but one, to grow their hair long. It didn't make sense. So I began to research and I found out that hair is hair is hair. Every person's maximum length potential is different and is genetically influenced; BUT what you do to it (or don't do to it) can greatly influence that length. I decided to stop perming - aka relaxing - my hair and in one years time...voila! I will be posting some tips and ideas about hair on future blogs. For now, I hope the pictures will be sufficient.

Dandruff

If you, or someone you love has dandruff, try this. Combine 3 TBS. of your favorite conditioner + 1 TBS brown sugar. Apply to your scalp sectionally and massage. Then shampoo with a mild shampoo. Feels great!!! (especially if someone else does it for you)

If you have a dander problem, here's some advice: 1. Switch to a sulfate (laureth/lauryl) free shampoo - Organix and Burts Bees are two common ones. Switch even if you don't have dandruff!! Google the affects of that stuff and you will see why. Some of you may think this is gross, but I "shampoo" with Apple Cider Vinegar once a week for three weeks, then use my homemade shampoo the fourth week.

After I had Aly I lost just about all the hair around my temples. Two months later I went to the hairdresser and sat under a hooded dryer. This caused heat damage to that area of my scalp. Shortly thereafter I discovered I had a dandruff problem - but only in that area. I use the above recipe every other week, shampoo, then apply my leave-in conditioner. I've done this for a month and a half now and the problem is almost gone. For all of us "Nappies", jojoba and virgin coconut oil 50/50 make a great scalp oil recipe.

Tinyla