Travelling While Natural

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

We should be so blessed to be able to get out there and explore other cultures and immerse ourselves in it. To travel and worry about your hair though, that's not enjoyable! Been there, done that. Whenever I've travelled in the past, I just kept my hair twists and updos and while that was cute back then, I yearn for something more "grown & sexy" (insert crying/ laughing emoji) for my new adventures! I'm trying to push myself away from protective styling as a habit and only concern myself with it on lazy days. I get too comfortable and leave my hair in a bun or twists for days! I'm planning some exciting trips ahead and I know I'm not bunning it! Here are a few tips for travelling while natural because hair should never get in the way of excitement!

Greenify- ing My Home

Illustrated by Jacqueline Davis Moranti

I have always wanted a garden, but having an actual garden, outdoors sort of intimidated me of starting one from scratch. Luckily there's lots of research out there for the budding green thumb and other options such as houseplants! I have settled with creating an urban jungle in my home, happily! Plants in the privacy of  my home help me build my confidence and technique, but where do you start? Which plants will survive in my care? After thorough research, I figured out what would work in my home.

Sundress Season

Photos by Jeff Davis 

First and foremost, apologies for the lack of posts! Between stress, building a business, working 9-5 and trying to decorate my home, all I want to do is sleep!!!! As much as I love my job, I've been thinking of ways to create a passive income because I believe it's important to keep an extra layer of security and of course for various life goals. I'll talk more on that in other post, aside from that the weather lately has been quite insane. What is there to do when the weather reads between 100- 110 degrees fahrenheit?! My answer: wear comfortable clothing.

To Straighten or Not To Straighten?

Illustrated By Jacqueline Davis Moranti

Every once in a while, I want to show off a new look because let’s face it: the shrinkage is real and wash and go's get boring. However, straightening my natural hair has always been a touchy subject since putting any sort of heat on it is usually a major no-no. I've experienced heat damage before, where a few of my curls wouldn't curl like the rest. I eventually trimmed it off but it was a learning lesson in what my hair could and could not take. Preventing heat damage and growing healthy hair is a big reason many women transition their tresses to natural, myself included.

As someone who has worn her hair mostly straight throughout my childhood, it feels great to rock my kinky hair in all it's natural glory. I feel a new found confidence! There is always the longstanding debate about whether straight hair is inherently "better," especially in communities of color. You don't even want to know the reactions I get when I walk into a salon and request a blow out!

Politics aside, there's no shame in switching it up (at the end of the day, it’s your hair). Whatever look you choose, just make sure you're tracking the health of your hair and understanding what works best to avoid damage in the long run. Here are a few of my best tips to straightening your kinky crown....

Beauty Bit, Self Care

Illustrated By Jacqueline Davis Moranti

A question I ask myself a lot lately is what is self- care? Is it purely just taking yourself to the spa for a massage and mani- pedi? Is it going to the hair dresser for a new cut or style? Is self- care simply just a shopping spree at your favorite mall? Something my friends, and family would ask me many times is how I was doing, and I genuinely didn't have answer. It has been quite frustrating because knowing exactly who you are, what you feel, and what your body needs all seem like things that should come to you naturally. You are, if anything, the main expert of you. But in all honesty, do any of us know exactly what we need at any given moment? Knowing yourself requires a lot of hard work. Think about it, the amount of sleep, plus physical activity, plus protein, and all the sorts of things you actually need (or need to put up with) depends on your individual lifestyle, add in any health conditions you might have, and your simple personal preferences. That's a surprisingly large amount of stuff that does take some work to pay attention to—and many of us aren't used to do doing that especially me! In the end I know it 's all worth it, because knowing exactly what your mind and physical body will react to, both negative and positive is crucial to reach whatever goals you have set in place. 

To achieve that, I've been swapping out my usual morning routine for self- care practices.