Tree Braid Wash Day

To wash my tree braids I diluted my shampoo with water in an applicator bottle instead of a spray bottle like I usually do the ratio of shampoo to water was around 40/60 this time round. I stood under a running shower to get my hair and scalp wet, turned off the water and proceeded to apply the shampoo mixture same way you would apply oil to your scalp with an applicator bottle. I did this for every single track and then gently massaged the shampoo into my scalp did my first rinse and then repeated the shampoo process again and this time ran my hands through the extensions to get them shampooed as well and then rinsed that off. This curly hair even though it sheds a lot hardly tangles so that was a plus during washing it’s hard enough washing tree braids/weaves without having to deal with tangled extension hair. After rinsing I towel dried turban style for about fifteen minutes and then blow dried the cornrowed tracks on medium heat so as to get them completely dry it is very important that your tracks completely dry to avoid a damp scalp which can lead to mold and other scalp infections. Unlike single braids/twists whereby the scalp is exposed making it easier to air dry the same cannot be said for weaves/tree braids. The extension hair that covers the tracks and scalp make it much harder to air dry and may take twice as long to air dry so I prefer to use heat to dry the tracks and extension hair. I have curly synthetic extensions installed at the moment so they do not need to be rollerset or anything, once dry all I did was apply a styling mousse and the curls snapped right back to life and ran a little bit of left over coconut oil I still had in my hands (that I had just used on the rest of my body) through the hair for shine much as I hate using natural oils on “fake” hair lol.

It was already quite late in the evening by the time I was done and my arms were tired from blow drying so I left the scalp oiling to the next day. The next day I oiled my scalp with my castor, eucalyptus and olive oil mixture and then sprayed ORS Olive Oil sheen spray for some extra shine and I was good to go. The only products I need for maintaining my extension hair is a styling mousse and an oil sheen spray they are both lightweight, do not weigh down the hair or give it a greasy look or feel and most importantly they give life to dull and lifeless extensions every time.

Just in case you have no idea what Tree braids are here is a photo gallery and video tutorial showing how they are done. I like to call them a “cheat sew in weave” as they give the illusion of having a weave but no sewing is involved. 

Fitness Fridays: No excuses

A lot of people argue that they have absolutely no time to put in a workout due to their busy schedules. I am a firm believer that if you want to achieve something you will create time somewhere in your schedule to accomplish it. So here are some other ways you can work out if you are too busy to set aside a specific workout time;

• Take the stairs instead of the lift/elevator or escalator whenever you can

• Don’t drive everywhere all the time walk to your destination if it’s not too far away instead sometimes.
• Look for the farthest parking space in a parking lot away from your entrance so you can put in a bit of a walk to the entrance.
• Get off a stop or two early if you take the bus and walk the rest of the way home. Be safe and exercise caution though on when to do this don’t be walking home at midnight in an unsafe neighbourhood when the bus would have dropped you safely outside your doorstep.
• Instead of ordering lunch during a workday walk to the restaurant, deli, food truck etc instead I know it is easier to sit in the office and order your lunch but actually going out to get it yourself will do your muscles some good.
• Instead of calling or emailing your colleague down the hall, a few floors down/up or in the next building on non urgent matters walk to them instead.
• Don’t be a couch potato do a couple of squats or lunges while watching your favourite TV show, trust me you can do both I do it all the time and still manage to follow whatever I am watching on TV.

Do you have any workout tips for busy people leading  sedentary lifestyles?

Being me Blog Tag - Thanks Savvy Sammy!

1.      Are you named after someone?

Yes my paternal grandmother I have both her first and middle names

2. When was the last time you cried?

I honestly cannot remember

3. Do you have kiddos?

Not yet

4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself?

Definitely

5. Do you have a guilty pleasure?

Anything chocolate – edible of course

6. Do you like handwriting?

Not really I have a terrible handwriting and because I am on my computer so much I find that I get tired real quick when I handwrite these days. But I still take down important notes in my notebook

7. What’s your favourite cereal?

Kellogg’s crunchy nut – I can have this cereal all day everyday

8. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Female hair.  Male their eyes usually.

9. What’s the colour of your eyes?

Brown

10. Scary movie or happy endings?

Happy endings all the time

11. Favourite TV shows?

None at the moment I watch anything and everything but I used to be a diehard Desperate Housewives watcher

12. Summer or winter?

None I prefer Spring and Fall. But If I had to choose I would say summer just because everyone seems happier in the summer must be all that sun and heat

13. Hugs or kisses?

Hmmm I would say both.

14. Do you have any special talent?

I am an amazing cook I wonder why I haven’t tapped it into it financially yet and got paid for my talent:)

15. Where were you born?

In Magical Kenya

16. What are your hobbies?

Swimming, cooking, reading, travelling.

17. Do you have any pets?

I do not like pets. I will admire them from a far but can’t stand them in my house sorry pet lovers.

18. Favourite movie?

Too many to choose from but I can watch  and sing along to “The Sound of Music” all day!

19. What colour is your car?

I don’t have one at the moment but I would go for Metallic Grey

20. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Since I am already grown I would say keep on being an amazing humanitarian.

June Fitness!

I did pretty well in May only missed two workout days and managed to put in three outdoor walks and discovered some hidden treasures in my neighbourhood while at it! I think I will be doing more outdoor walks this month.  One of my cousins has started walking 45 minutes every day I am so glad to see people in my life joining this fitness journey. I went to visit a friend I hadn’t seen in a while and she remarked at how much smaller my hips had become and I am very very “hippy” so that’s some good news. Now if only this belly can go away any tips for effective belly reducing exercises? Thanks goodness for waist cinchers and shapewear in general but I would love to be able to wear certain outfits without having to artificially hold everything in place:) Ok enough rambling here is my June fitness routine quite similar to my May one;

Still walking with Leslie only this time we’ve gone one mile up so it’s a four mile (just a little over 6km) brisk walking workout every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The 3 mile walk is child's play compared to this one, four miles of brisk walking is no joke! But so much fun I honestly love this particular workout video.

Kickboxing with Keaira on Tuesdays and Thursdays

Healthy you! Healthy hair!