So I want to get back to protective styling a) to increase length retention, b) to stay moisturized, and 3) to save time!

I've been hesitant to go back to protective styles because I didn't really like the twists I wore last semester. They were kind of boring and I really don't think they look that great on me. This semester I'll be doing an internship and I feel like I'll have more eyes on me...plus I'm in Europe! I'm on the most fashionable continent and among alot of sophisticated people! This may or may not be true but the plain twists just won't sufifice anymore.

So the other day I tried a little fo hawk with some side twists and it actually looks pretty good. (I tie the sides down for a few minutes before I leave the house). It took about an 1.5 to 2 hours.




But then I went on youtube and found this video by keke52284 and I'm back in love with twists! This is an awesome style and I can't wait to try it. My flat twist isn't perfect but I think I could actually do this!



I think I like this style better though. There's not as much flat twisting and it looks more like a stylish updo.


I will def be trying both of these as soon as possible! But since I shouldn't even be on here right now...I don't know when that will be.

An added bonus: it'll probably look fresh longer because the twists at the top won't get slept on and squished and the flat twist can be tied down to smoothe the esges.

• The application wasn't as messy as all the reviews say.
• The removal was the messiest!
• The estimate of 5 or more rinses with conditioner was indeed correct, no matter what I thought.
• I used a whole box on my hair but will experiement with different mixes and may cut that down to save a little.
• I definitely see a difference in my hair but I can't describe it well yet.

• Sealing. I don't do this as normally as I should but I now have shea butter and castor oil so I'll be sealing and re-sealing every few days.
• Detangling. I need to detangle more carefully now. I've been exploring more options to detangle and I really need to find a method that is best for me. I'll be trying dry detangling (with oil) soon.
• Deep Conditioning. I love mixing and I need to find a mix that is moisturizing and quick/inexpensive. I think I'll go back to an avacado base.
• Henna. I finally got my henna and feel pretty good about incorporating it into my regimen.
• Protective styling. It's really windy here in Spain and I need to manipulate Genevive less. I retained alot of length in Peru when I wore the twists for most of the week so I think I'll have to go back to them soon.

After 

Those are NOT happy exclamation marks. I've been in denial lately but I have gained a little weight. Really more than a little but it's not apparent until I try on 10 pairs of jeans and still don't fit them. 3 years ago when I was a senior in high school I lost about 20 pounds. I was so proud of myself and finally felt like I could begin to be pleased with my body. I was lean and tone...but long story short, I couldn't see it in the mirror. My eyes couldn't tell the difference even though I felt better and my clothes were definitely smaller...

Fast foward to now. I gained back most of the weight little by little. Now I'm the same size I was before I started losing weight. I actually weigh the same as I did when I started. For the past few years I've been in denial but now I realize that I realllllly need to get back on the right side of things. This is really disappointing to me but IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD!!!

I don't know if I've matured since then or just developed a better sense of self but three years ago this would have made me feel like a huge failure and I wouldn't have been able to look at myself. But right now I just feel like I've let myself down a little. I know how to get back to where I need to be...I just need to do it. The only problem is for the next six months I won't have contro of my meals because they're paid for...plus I'll be in freakin SPAIN! So I don't plan on "dieting" or "restricting" or "cutting" anything out. A few things that I think will help are:

• Walking. I know I'll be walking everywhere. Hopefully I'll be able to walk to school like I did in Peru but a 20-30 minute walk does the body good.
• Working out. I'll be tired and running around with classes and new friends. But I love my work out DVDs and I need to incorporate them atleast 3-4 times a week.
• Eating more fruit and veggies. This goes without saying. But I didn't take full advantage of cheap produce last semester so this semester I'll be trying to sneak in more fruits and veggies throughout the day.
• Sweets. I don't want to deny myself everything but I blew too much money on dulces (sweets) than I would have liked. I'll be treating myself a few times a week, not EVERY day. lol
• H2O. I normally drink only water and carry a water bottle but in the last few months I overindulged in sugary drinks (like the delicious Inka Cola). I burp less and have better digestion when I drink more water. Plus it's good for hair and skin!
• Get regular, stay regular. No one everrr wants to talk about it but everything about my body works more smoothly when I'm regular (in the #2 area). I eat better and feel...lighter when I'm not constipated. There, I said it.

That's all I can think of right now but it's really all I need. Simple and do-able. I don't necessarily have to lose weight but I just don't want to get any bigger. I generally feel better (healthier) when I'm about 10 pounds lighter than I am now. Will I lose that 10 lbs by summer? Probably not. There are just too many uncontrollable variables right now.

For the time being I've given up on jeans and pants in general. Leggings and dresses seem to be what I'm most comfortable in. I also think it's a phase. (I really love dresses). I think I'm not falling apart because I have more muscle than I did before so I still look kinda lean-er. I'm about a size smaller than I was the first time I was at this weight. But it's getting kind of tight....lol ;)

I kind of need to stop wearing jeans everyday anyway...but I won't use this as an excuse to keep eating ice cream for breakfast and pancakes as a mid night snack!

  More after the jump!

So remember that review on Yes to Tomatoes I did not too long ago?

Turns out that I quite possibly spoke too soon. I don't believe it either. Buuuut. The last few times I've used it I was just less than thrilled with the results. When I got home (to the states) I went on a hunt for more Yes to Anything and found 2 more bottles at Ross. There were more than that but I didn't want to over do it. But as I continued using the bottle that I already had, things seemed to go south.

• First, I just didn't feel the same slip and detangling capabilities that I felt when I first started using it. Like I felt like I had to use alot more and it wasn't all buttery and soft like it had been.
• Then I tried using it as a deep conditioner so I added honey and extra oil. Results: wayyy less than stellar. Seriously. It felt great going on but once I rinsed I couldn't feel a difference. It was really disappointing and not moisturized at all. Maybe I put too much honey in but I don't have time or money to keep re-mixing.
• I also tried it as a leave-in. Genevive soaked it up and my twists weren't that shiny. On top of that, the twist out was dull and not shiny or defined on day 1.

So I thought about it and tried to figure out why everything went down hill when I thought that I had finally found atleast one staple product....I think that the results could have something to do with the organic-ness of the product. I know that we all want organic, inexpensive products. But one think I notice is that there's an expiration date clearly marked on the back of the bottle. My bottle has an expiration date of 1/11/11...meaning it expires next week. This could have something to do with the effectiveness of the product. Also, I opened it a few months ago, in November I think. So maybe on top of the exp date, the product being open and sitting around helped it deteriorate.

I don't really know what I'm talking about here. Just hypothesizing. But I retried the left over Suave Almond and Shea Butter that I have and it works great! Like I was actually really impressed. It helps with detangling and works well with other products. I'm not completely giving up on the Yes to Line because I really think it could work for me. But I won't be retryig it until I have the resources (money and time) when I come back to the states in June. So for now I think I might just end up either getting Herbal Essences or Suave.

P.S. I took the other 2 bottles back and got a nice pair of comfy leggings :)

...More to come!

OT (off topic) but I just did some thinking today and I thought I would say it here...

It has taken me years to figure this out but I don't need friends. It's a big statement but I can explain. My whole (short) life I have never had a specific group of friends for longer than like a school year or shorter periods of time. I always tried to figure out what was wrong with me and why I couldn't seem to make and keep friends. I had a group of friends for all four years of high school but to this day I'm only in touch with one of them. Nothing bad happened between us but shortly after graduation we just all grew apart. Sad but true. Freshman year of college I had a group of friends too. We were always together. You never saw one without another one of us. But after that year we grew apart too. I'm only in touch with one. It has become a pattern where I make friends and shed them after  certain periods of time. When I was younger I would have a friend one year and then a new best friend the next. And I think that's normal at that age. Atleast to me.But that rate of change never slowed down.

It wasn't until after I watched Tyler Perry's "Madea Goes to Jail." I know it sounds dumb but there's a part where he talks about how there are different people that come and go in our lives and sometimes people can't tell the difference. There are people who are like seasons and come into your life to only teach you one thing but some people don't know that so they hold onto that person and try to form real relationships. I started thinking about it and I realize that it's true. I don't have the same friends that I had a year ago or 3 years ago but I can honestly say that I don't regret ever calling anyone a friend. Even the ones that ended badly, I still feel fortunate to have met them.

This past semester I met a few amazing people and they were my besties in Peru. Whether or not I will remain close to them I'm not sure of. But I know that in the time that I knew them we had some good times. Every person I've become friends with over the years has shared some awesome experience with me. When I think of certain events or periods in my life I see people and remember names. In middle school when I wore all black: Andrea. When the only shoe I wore was Converse: Julie. When I saw the Iguazu Falls: Anabel. When I climbed Machu Pichu: Jen...The list goes on and even though I may be lost in their minds, they'll always be fresh in mine :)