***UPDATED & CLOSED***Beauty on a Budget: It's a New Year!

 As always, the impartial men in my family assisted me with the selecting of the winners. I cut equal sized pieces of standard white copy paper and in fine print, I copy the name of each person who has entered on one slip of paper. If you earned additional entries but commenting or Facebook or Twitter, you name is put into the pot accordingly. Today, my husband had the honor of selecting the names from the pot!

Winner of Set 1: Meek (Shameka)

Winner of Set 2: Miss Liz (Annie)

Congrats to the winners and thanks to everyone who read and entered! I'll definitely be doing more giveaways so keep supporting the blog because the next giveaway will be soon! To the winners, please send your address to MrsValuable@gmail.com and I'll have your jewelry in the mail ASAP!



The first pair I made!



Happy New Year Y'all!!!

It's 2012 and what's a better way to celebrate a new year than a giveaway? I decided to try my hand at some jewelry again. This time, I decided to make some jewelry with a button making kit, ribbon I had at home, ring blanks, earring posts, and hot glue. All of the materials that I didn't already have were purchased from my favorite craft store, Hobby Lobby. (You know I used that 40% a single item coupon!)



The next things I made...



The earrings and rings were pretty easy to make and they are just so cute. I love stud earrings so these are perfect for me. Also, I wear a 3 1/2 ring size so I NEVER can find nice fashion rings that fit so I was really happy with this project because I was able to adjust the ring to my abnormally small fingers!

 Well, y'all know I always make extras so I'm going to share with you! You will have the opportunity to win one of two sets being given away. Check out the pictures below!

The extras I made!

Set 1: Button earrings and ring made from ribbon.



Set 2: Animal print button earrings made from ribbon....



...Set 2 will also include this button ring made from navy blue and off white ribbon!



The earrings are for pierced ears and the rings are adjustable!

This giveaway is open to US residents only.

To enter:

1. Subscribe to this blog!!!

2. Like my Facebook Page.

3. Leave a comment on this post and tell me which set you prefer.

And you're done!

If you want to earn a few extra entries, do the following:

1. Tweet the following, "I just entered @MrsValUable latest Beauty on a Budget Giveaway (http://mrsvaluable.blogpsot.com)!"

2. Leave me a comment on the Facebook Page and say, "I just entered Val's latest Beauty on a Budget Giveaway."

Those two simple actions will earn you two additional entries and you already know that more entries will increase your chance to win! This giveaway is running until 11:59 PM CST on Saturday, January 7, 2012. The winner will be announced on the blog Sunday, January 8, 2012!

My challenge for today is for you to enter this giveaway! Be blessed!

Happy New Year! It's 2012!

First, thank God for bringing me over into a new year! Hi-yah....followed by a fast clap!!! (If you're COGIC, you know what it is!) Secondly, thank you to my subscribers, readers, and lurkers! Without readers, this blog wouldn't be what it is!

So, how did I bring in the new year? I was at Watch Night Service. I enjoyed myself! Now, I did color my hair for my birthday a few days ago so I brought in the new year with a new color on my signature style-the side puff. I also played around in my eyeshadow for a new look to ring in the new year. I'll post the pics at the bottom! 

My challenge for today is to just be thankful for making it into this new year! So many people didn't (RIP to my nephew's father and the many others) get a chance to see 2012. Don't take it for granted! God bless us all in 2012!

It's My Birthday Eve...

25 is approaching rather quickly, y'all! Thank God for letting me make it this far! I can hardly believe it. And even though I barely look a day over 19, I definitely can feel the difference. I won't get too deep. This is just a light post today.

So...what should I give my hair for our 25th birthday on tomorrow? Some color? Twists? Maybe a trip to the salon? The classic side puff? What do you think? Let me know in the comment box below or leave a comment on the blog's Facebook wall. Your suggestions are welcomed, but I can tell you I will not be shaving or cutting my hair.

My challenge for today is to check yourself. Yep! I said check yourself. Are we really being the persons God has called us to be? The Bible is the mirror. If it doesn't line up with the Word of God, it is time to let it go. God bless!

My Hair Got Christmas Presents!

It’s almost Christmas!!!

So, I’m so glad that my husband decided to go out and do some Christmas shopping today. My oldest son (the 3 year old) will not just be opening up clothes on Christmas so I’m sure he’ll be happy about that! My youngest (the 5 month old) will probably just try to eat the wrapping paper and bows so he was going to be fine anyways.

Guess what! My hair got some presents today-courtesy of my friend (and one of my natural hair inspirations) and fellow blogger, Lawanda! She gave several of her blog readers presents for our hair this holiday season, which was a very thoughtful and unique idea! I like how she reused the baby food jar containers to give us her whipped Shea butter mixture. She also gave me a little spray bottle that has Aloe Vera and some oils in it.

Moment for Education: With natural hair (and all hair, really), it’s important to not only moisturize your hair, but to lock in the moisture. Shea butter is a great moisturizer for hair (and skin too). After applying moisture, use oils on the ends of your hair to seal in that moisture.

In my opinion, it’s best to use whipped Shea butter mixtures on wet/damp hair because it really moisturizes your hair that way, but it can be used on dry hair as well. Whenever I apply moisture, I always seal my ends! I can’t wait to get a chance to try out these gifts on my hair!

My challenge for today is to think about your hair regime. Does it need tweaking? Do you need to pay more attention to your ends? Do you condition and moisturize enough? If you think your regime could be improved, then do it! There’s so much information available on this blog and many others so there’s no excuse. Healthy hair is happy hair and happy hair will treat you right….most of the time! Be blessed!

The Twist Out Didn't Make It!

Good afternoon Y’all!

The twist out from this morning didn’t make it! It’s already flat-lined. No, it didn’t get frizzy; no, the weather had no part in its death. I intentionally killed it by putting it back into a bun. I told you all that I don’t really like to wear my hair down and my twist outs never quite look the way I want them to look. Also, my hair kept rubbing again my chair and my clothes and I just kept thinking, “My ends! My ends!” I did receive several compliments from my co-workers (thanks guys) about my twist out, but I just got the urge to pull it back…so I did! Don’t judge me!

I did style it in a protective style so do I get some brownie points for that? I did this at work in the bathroom during my lunch break so all I had was some water, my fingers and a few hair pins I had. I don’t think it turned out too badly when you think of what I was working with. Now, I happen to really like this so I will make it more pretty when I get home and probably wear this style the rest of the week! (Check out my post from earlier to see how the twist out looked!)

Easy Twist Out Style

Good morning!!!

So, I can’t believe that Christmas is in 4 days and I’ve only bought a couple of things for my boys! And you know what, I’m really not tripping about it. My boys are young (5 months and 3 years old) so they are not really caught up in the material side of Christmas and I don’t want them to be in the future. As for my husband and I, both of our birthdays are soon so we are more into celebrating them than going all out on Christmas. We both feel like the new house we bought at the end of September was an early Christmas gift; this year and every year, we really try to focus on celebrating our Savior on Christmas Day!

Okay, so I’m checking in to let you guys know that I did a twist out today! I put my hair in some Ms. Celie twists on Monday night. I did them on dry hair, but I did apply a little bit of water with my spray bottle and of course some Shea Moisture Smoothie. I did about 12 large twists while watching “The Wayans Brothers” re-runs with my Hubby. I slept in them Monday night and wore a beret Tuesday so that I could keep them in all day. I woke up this morning and took them out. My twist outs never look exactly how I want them to, but I’m going to wear it today and I’ll probably put it in a bun tonight or tomorrow. I’ve never been the type to wear my hair down because I don’t like my ends rubbing against my clothes or getting in my way. Plus, buns and updo styles just look so cute on me!

My challenge for today is to not to get caught up in the materialism of Christmas. It is okay to have fun and buy gifts, but don't forget Jesus! Be blessed!!!

Flexi-Rod Fiasco...Not This Time

I'm back!!!

As you can see, I decided to get right back into the game of trying to master flexi-rods! I used my spray bottle of water and went to rolling last night. I didn't add any product this time. Also, I used more rollers last night. The first time I did it, I used about 22 rollers. Last night, I used almost 40 rollers. With using more rollers, the sections were smaller and I paid more attention to the back of my hair, which was the section that was blah on yesterday. I even forced myself to sit underneath the dryer for almost an hour and a half before going to sleep. I did sleep in the rollers again, but they are soft so it wasn't too bad. (As Mrs. Hughes told me on yesterday, "Beauty is pain!")

So, I woke up today and started my day-talking to God, taking care of the kids, and doing some chores. After several hours, the rollers being in my hair started to get on my nerves so I decided it was time for the TAKE DOWN! Needless to say, I was a bit worried, but I felt with the modifications I made that my hair would definitely turn out better....and it did, y'all! I didn't feel the need to pin up the back, but I probably will end up doing it within the next few days to get more days out of this flexi-rod set. Check out the pictures below! 

I can see that with flexi-rod styles, the more I do them, the better they will turn out so I think I'll be trying using flexi-rods to achieve different styles. That way I can give myself a change from my normal puffs, buns, and WnGs.  Shout out to my friend, Annie, who will be so proud of me because she knows that I can be lazy when it comes to styling my hair and she understand how BIG of a deal it is for me to be trying styles that take longer than 15 minutes or so to do.

For the people interested in my make-up, I promise you it was very simple to do. I normally apply it with clean fingers and/or disposable wedges. I don't wear a lot of make-up. My daily make-up routine consists of a bit of tinted moisturizer (by Mary Kay), mascara (Falsies by Maybelline), blush (by Mary Kay), and some Vaseline for my lips. Sometimes (mostly on the weekends or for special occasions or if I'm in the mood), I will put on some eyeshadow (bought from many places and some has been given to me by my dear friend Mrs. Brown) and lip gloss (Ulta brand or something with a slight shimmer). When I do wear eyeshadow, I always get compliments so I might so a tutorial in the near future.

Well, check out my post from earlier for today's challenge! I pray that you all have a very blessed day!

My Christmas Mani!!!

Hey Y'all!

As you know, Christmas is a little over a week away. The Christmas season inspired my latest manicure! This is just a short post to show you what I did to my nails at home. I used some inexpensive nail polish I picked up from Wal-Mart (the red polish and glitter polish) and Sally's (the white polish). I used tape (just regular tape that you'd use to wrap a gift) to achieve the stripes on my ring fingers.

What do you think? Is my manicure Christmas-y to you? Do you want a tutorial on using tape for manicures? Leave me some feedback under the post!

My challenge for you today is to be a safe driver this holiday season (and everyday)! Please, please, please don't partake in activities while driving that can impair your driving skills or ability to make safe driving decisions. Every week in my area, I've hears of fatal car accidents. Some of the accidents might have been prevented if people took extra precaution. It only takes a split second to cause an accident so if you need to talk, text, eat, or put on make-up, please pull over. You might be saving your own life! Be safe and be blessed!

Not a Fail, but Not Quite Success

Good mer'ning!!! (In my elderly Alabama voice...lol)

I going to do this post completely from my Blogger app so excuse any mistakes. I will probably fix them later from my PC...maybe. On yesterday, I picked up some flexi-rods from one of local beauty supply stores. I probably paid much more for them than I needed to ($3.99/pack), but I did it on my lunch break and the BSS wasn't far from my job so that's why I went there.

I have been studying many YouTube videos for many months and I finally decided it was time to try (and probably fail) at a flexi-rod set on my natural hair. I used the gray and orange colored flexi-rods. I'm not exactly sure of the size, but I believe the orange ones are 5/8 of an inch. The products I used were some wrap and set foam made by Bonner Brothers. I have had it for what seems like light years, so I decided to use it before just throwing it out. I also used a little bit of Shea Moisture Smoothie.

I started at the back and applied a little of each product to the section. (I had a total of 22 sections when I was done). I tried to roll them in the same direction. After I was done. I set under a dryer I sat there for about 30 minutes, got bored (and hot), and then went to bed. I got up  early and sat under the dryer for about an hour this morning. Well, the ones in the back were ok...but the ones in the front were definitely better. I pinned my hair up in the back, played around with the front to make it presentable and ran out of the house with my husband to get the kids to school and us to work.

I learned some things so my so-so flexi-rod set has not discouraged me. I'm probably going to try it again Saturday. This time, I will not apply as much product. I will probably have to do smaller sections (which I didn't want to do because I don't like to spend lots of time on my hair. That's why my staples styles are like 10 minute styles or a wash and go or puff.) Also, I'm going to stay under the dryer for at least an hour and a half. Now, sleeping in the rods wasn't too bad, but I'm going to start early in the day so that my hair will be dry and I will not have to.

I will keep you guys posted! My challenge for today is to think before you speak. I'm going to be doing this as well. It's so simple, but I notice that many don't gave a filter and they will just say anything. Saying whatever we want, whenever we want is not always appropriate or necessary. Be blessed!

UPDATED & CLOSED: Beauty on a Budget...CHRISTmas Edition!!!

Without further ado, the winner of the scarf is Mrs JBrowneyez! Congrats! Please contact me (by email, FB, or Twitter) by Tuesday, December 20, 2011 to claim your prize! I want to thank everyone who entered and continues to support this blog! Another giveaway is coming soon!




Hey Y'all!

One of my favorite books says, "....It is more blessed to give than to receive." That book, of course, is the Bible! (Acts 20:35 KJV)

I've always been a giver so it gives me great joy to sponsor another giveaway, especially during my favorite time of the year! This is another piece I labored over myself. I decided that I wanted to learned how to crochet so went to YouTube and taught myself from watching some videos...last weekend. Yep, I've only been crocheting a little over a week! Now, my first scarf and hat were okay for my first time, but my second scarf turned out great! After the second one, I felt comfortable with making one to give away.

I picked up all the yarn I used from Hobby Lobby. For the scarf I'm giving away, the yarn was about $3 USD. The scarf, which would probably retail for at least $15, took me roughly $3 to make! Now, that's being a bargaining beauty! This scarf isn't extra long (It's about 42-45 inches long) like many scarves I see out, but I believe anyone could rock it, especially a petite or shorter person! (I say petite or shorter because I'm petite and short and I'm the one who modeled it for the pictures.)

***This giveaway is for US residents only!***

To enter the giveaway, you will need to follow these rules:

1. Follow this blog. (Go to the home page and look in the top left-hand corner for the Follow link. It's self-explanatory from there.)

2. Like my Facebook Page.

3. Leave a comment on my Facebook Page's Wall stating that you want to be entered into my Christmas giveaway!

To earn an extra entry, leave a comment under this blog post stating how you plan to rock this scarf this Christmas season!

You have until 11:59 CST on Saturday, December 17, 2011 to enter! The winner will be announced on Sunday, December 18, 2011!

I hope you guys lived up to my challenge for today and went to church! It's a blessing to gather with other believers in corporate praise and worship! Have a blessed night! 

Beautiful Smooth Skin? Try This!!!

Good morning Saints!!! (It's Sunday so most folks try to be Saints today....jk!) This month is flying by! I can't believe Christmas is in 2 weeks! Don't even ask me if I've gone shopping...


Anyhoo, this is going to be a quick product review! Being the bargaining Diva I am, I stumbled across a giveaway last month and I entered because the blogger (Thanks @NaturallYEJHalo!!!) was giving away Shea Moisture Products. I use some of their hair products so I really wanted to win. Well, I did! I didn't win a hair product though. I won the Shea Moisture Olive and Green Tea Body Scrub with Green Tea and Avocado.

I used it this morning in the shower and folks, it is wonderful! Some body scrubs are too rough for me, but this product was just right. Rough enough to do its job, but not so rough that I felt like a file was being used on my skin. Of course, it smells great and it left my skin feeling so smooth and somewhat radiant. This could definitely become one of my must-haves!

My challenge for today is a repeat one-find yourself in church this morning, ok! Be blessed! : -)

Another Giveaway is Coming!!!

Christmas is coming y'all!!!

I LOVE Christmas! Now, I love all the things that go along with Christmas like caroling, candy canes, and Christmas lights, but the most important thing is celebrating that my Lord and Savior Jesus Christmas was born. I don't care if he was born in December 25th or not; just the fact that he was born to die for my sins is worth celebrating!

In honor of my love of Christmas, I'm going to be having a couple giveaways before Christmas! I'm going to announce all the details really soon, but check out the picture above for a hint of what might be given away...

So, the DIY bug bit me again and I decided to teach myself to crochet! The items above were made by yours truly! I watched some YouTube videos, got some free picture tutorials from Hobby Lobby, and read some instructions on the internet. From all of those things, I kind of figured out how to crochet. I purchased 3 skeins of yarn and a 5.5 mm needle from Hobby Lobby for around $11 USD. I did have a 40% off one regular-priced item so that helped lower the price some.

Well, that's all I really wanted to say today. I can tell you that with the upcoming giveaways, you will definitely have to follow this blog and you will probably have to like my Facebook page so get a jump start! Go ahead and follow this blog and like my page on Facebook. You will be that must closer to winning!

My challenge for today is to donate to a food drive. It's really sad to think that this holiday season, people are struggling to feed themselves and their families. If you can, buy a few cans the next time you're out and donate to your local food bank. A few bucks from you will really help someone in need! You're blessed to be a blessing and on that note, God bless you!

Hair Warfare: Detailed Battle Plan

Hey Everyone!

Well, I received a lot of feedback, especially on Facebook, about the article I posted on yesterday that showed how I am growing my edges back about severe postpartum hair shedding. That article quickly became one of the most-viewed posts on my blog and it has been up a little over a day so it must have "struck a chord" with some of you out there and I'm glad it did.

****DISCLAIMER: AS I STATED IN THE OTHER ARTICLE, I AM NOT A MEDICAL DOCTOR. THESE ARE MY EXPERIENCES WITH THESE PRODUCTS. I AM NOT OFFERING ANY TYPE OF MEDICAL ADVICE. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE ADDING ANY SUPPLEMENTS TO YOUR DIET, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE ANY MEDICAL CONDITIONS. IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE THESE ITEMS, YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION AND RISK.****

Okay, so the pictures are of the products I am currently using in my battle for the edges. I bought the products from my local Wal-Mart. The cost of both were probably around $10 USD. The MSM is in pill form (it can be purchased in powder form as well) and I started off by taking just 1 pill daily. I had worked myself up to 5 pills daily, but I think that was too much for my system. (My monthly cycles are by the book...very regular. When I increased the MSM to 5000 mg per day, I noticed that my cycle was thrown off. This problem was solved after I decreased my dosage.) I've seem to have found a good balance in taking 3000 mg per day (3 pills). 

I use the Castor Oil daily. In the morning, I pour a dime-size amount into my hand and apply it with my fingers to my edges in the front. I like the Castor oil because it actually helps to lay my edges down so I really haven't been using much gel on my edges since I incorporated the Castor Oil into
my regime. At night, I apply the Castor Oil in the same manner before putting on my satin scarf or bonnet. Folks, a little bit of Castor Oil goes a long way so if you decide to get some, don't be heavy-handed.

For my eyelashes, I apply the Castor Oil every other day before going to bed. I thoroughly wash my hands and then I apply just a dab of the Castor Oil to my index finger. I gently rub the Castor Oil along the base of my lash line on both the top and bottom lashes. I repeat the previous steps on my other eye. You don't want to use too much because you don't want to get the Castor Oil into your eyes.  I only apply Castor Oil to my eyebrows if I get a little too zealous with plucking them.

Now, my husband started using the Castor Oil on his face because he's trying to grow in his beard evenly. If I can get him to take some pictures, I will show you the difference in his facial hair. He's been using it about a month and that little line of hair that runs from a man's bottom lip to his chin has grown! That area is normally kind of sparse on him so he has been able to see a change in the thickness of his facial hair.

Now, healthy hair starts from within so along with these products, I drink water and try to maintain a balanced diet. I also take a multi-vitamin and sometimes I take biotin. I take the biotin a few times a week. I don't take it more because too much biotin makes me experiences break outs on my face. I also make sure I style my hair in ways that don't put too much stress on my hairline-no tight ponytails or braids or tight headbands. 

From my experiences, I do believe the MSM and Castor Oil are helping me in thickening my hair edges and minimizing shedding. I'm going to continue to use these products to get my edges back to the way they were pre-pregnancy and I will probably make these items staple products in my hair regime!

My challenge for you today is think about your health-physical, mental, and spiritual. What are some things you can do to improve all aspects of your health? Now, turn those thoughts in action! Add some exercise to your daily activities. Cut out some thing that are causing you unnecessary stress. Take some time to mediate on God's Word or to talk with Him. Do something to improve your well-being! You will thank yourself one day! Be blessed!

Hair Warfare: The Battle For My Edges!

***Waving*** Hey Y'all!!!

 

Okay...this post is going "keep it real"! By real, I mean as honest as I can be. Do you mind if I get on my soapbox for a second? I get tired of people posting about their hair journeys/issues/roadblocks, but they never really show the struggle! Do you know what I mean? They talk a lot about problems they encountered, but where's the proof? Many show us the beautiful "after" pictures. The pictures where they have followed some strict regime and they obtained the length or thickness or whatever they were aiming for, but where are the BUSTED pictures? *Smile* I know that no one really wants to be put themselves out badly on the world wide web, but I think if more did, it would add some validity to their claims.

Alright, on to my post....as some of you may have gathered, my husband and I recently had a beautiful bouncing baby boy in July of this year. I love my little Ty and he's such a blessing to my family! Now, Ty isn't my first baby. I also have a 3-year old so pregnancy and dealing with postpartum issues were not strangers to me. This time around, however, I experienced something I didn't with my first child. I had to deal with SHEDDING! Now, many moms in the postpartum phase deal with a much more noticeable amount of shedding after having a baby because while pregnant, hair stays in the growing phase and it doesn't shed. So basically, in the postpartum period, you start to shed all that hair that you more than likely would have shed if you hadn't been pregnant.

Now let me be clear, I have never had edges that almost touch my eyebrows or really thick edges. By genetics, my edges have always been the finest part of my hair and that's fine with me! I know what I can and cannot do with my hair and I work with my hair instead of trying to make it do things that would stress it out. As long as my hair is healthy, I'm just fine with what God has given me to work with! (Self-love starts with acceptance!)

Well, after I had Ty, I expected that I would have some shedding, but I never would have imagined that the shedding would take place mainly in the front of my hair, near my hairline! Imagine my utter dismay, when I was washing my hair and it kept shedding...in the front! I was like, "Come on God! You know I have a big forehead! Can I get some shedding in the back please! That's much easier to disguise." By mid-September, I was almost on the verge of a major freak out! Instead of having a break down, I started to ask questions and do some research. After consulting with a few people and surfing Google, I developed a plan of action. My regime and products were fine so I stuck with what I was doing, but I decided to incorporate Castor oil and supplements (MSM and Biotin) into my routine.

****DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical doctor nor am I in the medical field. I chose to use things that I felt would work for me. I am not advising that anyone do what I did without consulting his/her physician. If you choose to do so, you do so at your own discretion and risk.****

Now, many people raved about Castor oil, MSM, and Biotin, but I didn't see too many believable pictures/videos that showed if they actually worked. So I decided to really document the process, like I did when I was transitioning to natural hair. For most folks, seeing is believing! This is an ongoing thing, but I'm posting these pictures because I really want to help somebody. I know that for many, hair issues can be discouraging, but with consistency, diligence and most importantly, patience, I believe many hair problems can be fixed with positive results.

This picture was taken on September 22, 2011 at 7:17 PM CST. (I have time and date stamps on my pictures.)

This picture was taken a little over two months later on November 30, 2011 at 3:31 AM CST. (Yes, I took the picture this morning!)

Now as you can see from the pictures above, there is definitely a difference in my edges! They are not 100% back to how they were pre-pregnancy, but they are definitely getting there! If you also look closely, you should be able to see a difference in my eyebrows. I use the Castor oil on my eyebrows and eyelashes and I can also notice a difference in them. With the right mascara, it looks like I'm wearing some falsies. (As a matter of fact, my husband thought I had on some lashes last weekend so y'all know there has to be some difference if a man notices!) I'm very happy with the results so far and I'll do another update in a few months.

This post is getting long so if you guys want to know exactly how I used the Castor oil and supplements (amounts and frequency), leave me some comments! If I get enough feedback, I'll give you the play by play of how I use the items in conjunction with my normal hair routine.

My challenge for today is to start taking proactive steps to handle whatever situation you might be going through in your life. Instead of crying about it, get up and do something about it! If your significant other isn't acting right or your job isn't fulfilling or your prayer life is not where it should be, take the steps to make things better. Counseling, filling out job applications, making time to communicate with God---whatever it takes, do it! We have to stop talking about things at some point and start doing something to see the change! God bless!

My Puff: The Difference in a Year!

***Yawning*** Good morning....

If I were talking, my voice would sound like a groggy whisper. I've been up since about 3:45 AM with my Ty Ty. It's just part of being a mother to a 4 month old...

Anyhoo, this post will not be long. I just wanted to post a couple pictures to show how my puff has grown in a year's time. Now, I did give myself a mini hair cut (About 1 1/2 inches) about 2 months ago so keep that in mind.

The first picture is from November 2010. You probably recognize it from the home page of my blog.

 The second picture was taken last week so it is from November 2011.

Now, how do I get growth? I can't say I do protective styles all the time, BUT I do keep my hands out of my hair and I try not to overmanipulate hair, even when it is in my staple style---the puff. Over the last year, I alternated from my Freetress Creta Girl half-wig to puffs to WnGs to buns. Occasionally, I would do some two-strand twists or bantu knots. My hair is always moisturized! I really think that played a huge part in te growth I saw in this last year.

This year, I plan to try more twist styles and try to do protective styling a little bit more because it does help with retaining length. I just don't think I will ever be the type to wear protective styles all the time because I want to enjoy my hair and having it tucked away all the time just doesn't fly with me. My hair is a decent length and of course, I wouldn't mind it growing out more, but obtaining length isn't the only part of my hair journey.

My challenge for you today is to make sure you love yourself. I keep being bombarded by blatant cases of self-loathing, especially when it comes to accepting one's hair. It makes me sad to see that some people really don't like themselves, epecially because of their hair texture. I don't care what anyone says, you have to love yourself so that you can love others. God bless!

(Updated and CLOSED) Beauty on a Budget Giveaway-Take Two!



The winners of the 2nd Beauty on a Budget Giveaway are as follows:

Set 1: ChocoBama1

Set 2: NaturalhairLatina

Set 3:Lovely Lola

Congrats to the winners and thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway! Don't worry; Christmas is right around the corner and it is my FAVORITE holiday so more giveaways are coming! Winners, please contact me (mrsvaluable@gmail.com or DM me on Twitter) to claim your prize by Friday, December 2, 2011!





Some of the hair accessories I made. I went a little DIY crazy...hee hee hee!

 Hey Y'all!

WARNING: This post is PICTURE HEAVY! I was in a store this weekend about to spend $8-$10 a piece on a few headbands and clips, but I stopped myself. It's like a little DIY angel appeared on my shoulder and reminded me that I could go get some materials and create my own hair accessories and make exactly what I wanted in the color schemes that I wanted. So, I headed to my neighborhood Michael's and Hobby Lobby (after going to their websites and getting a coupon for 40% off one regular price item) to pick up some ribbon, a new sewing kit, and a few other things. I also went to Wal-Mart and purchased a new hot glue gun because I got tired of sewing. In all, I probably spent about $25, but I would have spent that and only got 3 or 4 headbands at one of my favorite stores.

Well, the DIY bug bit me hard and I made so many things! Making your own accessories really isn't hard. There are so many tutorials online. Just Goggle "make my own headband" or "make headband out of ribbon" or "no sew hair bow instructions"; you'd be surprised at how easy it is to do. You don't have to follow their guidelines strictly; use your imagination and determine what works best for you. Now, it will take some time when you're starting out, but once you get the hang of it, it's piece of cake!

    



Rocking one of the bows I made







Rocking a skinny headband



 

Hair clips are so versatile!

 As you can see from the picture at the very top, I created so many hair accessories. I decided to share with my readers! Three readers will win one of the sets of hair accessories below!



Set 1



Set 2



Set 3



To be entered to win, you will need to follow the rules as stated.

1. Follow this blog.

 2. Comment on this post and state which set you prefer.

3. Like my page on Facebook.

Once you have done the steps above, you are entered. To earn an additional entry, you must get at least one of your Facebook friends to like my page and your friend must comment on my page's wall with the statement, "________ referred me to your page!" (Each time one of your friends likes my page and comments on the wall, you will earn an addition entry in the giveaway. The more entries you have, the more chances you have to win!)  

The contest will run until 11:59 PM on Tuesday, November 29, 2011. The winners will be announced on my blog on Wednesday, November 30, 2011.

My challenge for you today is enter to win this giveaway! You know you want to spice up your twist out, or add a little sparkle to your 'fro, or maybe you're not Natural, but you appreciate a good hair accessory. Whatever the case may be, enter to win! Have a blessed day!

Just Chatting with @Mz_Terra...

Good evening Y'all!

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Terra, the recent winner of the Beauty on a Budget Giveaway. Terra also recently made a BIG decision; she decided to do the BC (Big Chop) and get rid of her relaxed ends! I was surprised by her choice because I had seen her a few days ago (when I delivered her earringss) and her hair was still all there. She didn't say anything about cutting her hair so when she told my yesterday that she did, it inspired me to ask her some more questions! Her story was so interesting and I just had to share it. I asked her was it okay and she said of course! Below, you will find the conversation that happened between she and I!

Just Val: Girl, how do you like the earrings?

Terra: I love the earrings and I will be wearing them a lot.

Just Val: I saw you a few weeks ago, I remember you saying that you had decided to go natural. How long did you transition?

Terra: I transitioned from May 18, 2011 until November 19, 2011.

Just Val: Let's back up a little. What made you decide to go natural?

Terra: I wanted to go natural because as a little girl, my hair hair was so long...until my first perm in sixth grade. I want that long healthy hair back!

Just Val: How was the big chop?

Terra: It was great! I didn't plan it. I washed my hair and the permed hair was just sitting there, attached to my new growth and I starting cutting. I was free.

Just Val: Cool! Is there anything else you would like to add?

Terra: Yes, this isn't my first time cutting my hair to go natural. I cut it in 2006, but listening to others, I ended up perming it. People told me my hair was ugly and they liked me better with long, relaxed hair. This time, I don't care what others think! I love it and I won't perm again!

 

Buh bye relaxed ends!

 

Newly Natural!
Check out those earrings!





























Well, it makes my heart glad to welcome another lady to my side of the tracks! Let me stop before y'all start thinking I'm one of those militant naturals. At the end of the day, I'm an advocate for HEALTHY hair. I do like to see my sisters going natural, but I am always happy to see people doing them! If you're truly doing something because it makes you happy, then do it. That might mean hitting the creamy crack (relaxer) or choosing to go back to your natural texture. Don't sacrifice your happiness to please others because honey, most aren't going to stop doing what they want to please you.


Well, this is probably going to be my last post of the day. I'm going to spend some time with my boys! I should have given you plenty to think about for now and I'll be back soon! I do hope you found yourself in somebody's church today! Be blessed!



Hello Shrinkage!

Hey Y'all!

This post will be short, but I just want to ramble a little bit about something natural hair divas deal with now since giving up relaxers. Some of us seem to have deal with it more than others (depending on your hair texture), but most curly/coily/kinky divas deal with SHRINKAGE.

For me, shrinkage isn't a matter of bad or good. It's just something you deal with in whatever way pleases you. Some counter shrinkage by doing styles that stretch their hair like braids or twists. Some choose to embrace the shrinkage by doing WnG styles or rocking puffs. Some, like me, just do our hair however we feel and if it looks stretched, cool. If it looks like we only have 4 or 5 inches of hair, cool. Shrinkage used to really get on my nerves because it seemed liked my hair wasn't growing, but when I saw that my hair was healthy and growing, I stopped being concerned with it. Tip: Something that helped me was taking pictures of my hair. After a few months, I go back and look at the pictures and guess what? It is easy to see the growth that way.

Don't let shrinkage bum you out! If you don't like it, rock styles that help stretch your hair. If you don't mind, leave it be. No matter how you wear your hair, make sure you are moisturizing your hair and sealing those ends with an oil to lock in the moisture. Dry hair will lead to breakage and be mindful of your ends! Happy hair is healthy hair!

Some Inexpensive Must-Have Products

Good morning!!!

I started this post yesterday, but I decided to spend some quality time with my boys so I didn't get to finish. You understand, right? I knew you would!

Anyhoo, I said I would be posting about my hair regime so today, I will be focusing on some of my staple products that are effective, but inexpensive. Let me tell you all that I'm no longer a product junkie. However, these are not the only products I use; these are some of the ones I use frequently. I will tell you the name of the product, where I purchase it, the approximate cost, and how I use the product.

FYI: All of the products mentioned are things I bought with my own hard-earned money. I am not being compensated in any way to do these reviews. My opinions are my honest experience with these products. Use them at your own discretion.
1. Humco Castor Oil: I bought this from Wal-Mart. (It was in the medicinal section.) It was around $3. Let me just tell you that I really like Castor Oil. It is great way to help thicken hair. I use it on my eyebrows, eyelashes, on my edges, and to send the ends of my hair to lock in moisture. I also use it on my husband's beard because he's trying to grow it in more evenly. I'm going to post an in-dept passage on Castor Oil in a few months after I have enough pictorial evidence to show what Castor Oil can really do for hair. If you decide to use Castor Oil, don't use too much. A little goes a long way.

2. Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Conditioner: I have bought this from Dollar General and from Wal-Mart. It normally runs for around $1.25. I started using this conditioner when I first went natural to co-wash (washing your hair with conditioner instead of shampoo). I still use this product to co-wash, but I do not wash my hair as much as I did when I first went natural. My hair is longer now and it's much more work. I like this product because it has great "slip". By slip, I mean it really makes it easy for me to "slip" my fingers through my hair and work out tangles. Also, it helps make my hair soft and it has a nice smell, which is always good. When I first went natural, I also would use a small amount of this as a leave-in conditioner if I was out of my leave-in. (When I do shampoo my hair, which is no more than 2 times in a month, I sometimes use the Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Shampoo. I can get if from the same places for around the same price.)  

3. Smooth and Shime Polishing Curl Activator Gel (For Extra Dry Hair): I have bought this from Dollar General and from Wal-Mart. It it normally no more than $3.75. This is my go to product if I want to do a WnG (wash and go) or if I want my puff styles to be less fluffy/frizzy and look my defined. This product will not make curls appear. You have to have some type of curl/coil/wave pattern. If you do, this can help your curls/curls/wave be less fluffy/frizzy and be more smooth looking. I'm not one of those people who has to have curls, but when I want my curls to act right, I whip out this product. I really like this because it doesn't make my hair crunchy or hard. I normally apply this to wet/very damp hair and then let it air dry. Also, when I use this product, I normally apply a moisturizer or light oil after applying the gel to help my hair remain soft for several days. People always ask do I use Ecostyler. I tried that when I was transitioning (the Olive Oil kind) and it made my hair hard. I might revisit it again when Sally's has a sell on it because now I know how to use products better.

Here are a few styles I did this year and used the Smooth and Shine Polishing Curl Activator. (From left to right) The first picture was my first attempt at a WnG from Spring 2011. The second picture is a WnG I did about 3 months later in the summer of 2011. The last picture is a side puff I did a couple days ago. This is currently how I'm wearing my hair. I am going to do a protective style again soon (probably some two-strand twists put into an updo or bun), but the weather has been warm so I decided to take advantage of it!

My challenge for today is go to church! If you don't have a church home, go visit a church. Don't just sit at home and watch a tv evangelist. The Bible says would should not forsaken to assemble together. That means that you need to get out and fellowship with other believers. Churching at home doesn't take the place of worshipping with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Y'all have a blessed Sunday!