Women Health: Starting with you

You ever step out of the shower and wonder who is this person staring back at you and what have happen to the body you once loved so many years atgo.

Photo From A Woman, A Mom, A Lover Blog

As a woman we tend to beat ourselves up because we don't look the way we use to look before marriage, before kids and before years of unhealthy eating. I have heard some people say, "If you are unhappy about it then do something about it!" But that is easier said than done. The avearge woman have such a busy workload dealing with employment, a spouse, kids and taking care of the household which leaves little time for caring about themselves.

The first step into taking care of yourself is realizing that you are worthy of the time and making sure you have the time to accomplish what will make you feel happy about yourself again. "You are just as important as any other person or task that you face in your daily. Self neglect is especially easy when you have children. Children are dependent on their mothers, we provide love and care. A mother will tend to make sure every aspect of the child is taken care of and once the day is over we realize all the things that we forgot to do for ourselves, like in my case eating!

Studies have shown that a woman who doesn't have "me" time are those ones who tend to be over weight, stresses more and sleep less. Recent research has shown that women today are less happy than they have been over the past 40 years. There are many theories about why, but lack of free time can be a major reason. (From the article:Finding Me Time) I know when I take time out for myself and neglect things that I know I should be doing, leads to self guilt and only makes me work 10 times harder the next day. I need to learn that it's okay to be selfish sometimes.

Once you have established how important it is to take care of you then you need to learn what you need to do to reach the goal of your self liking. You ever see a woman who you think is beautiful and have the train of thought, "Wow, I wish I had her body!" Please remember that we are meant to be different and that what works for one person may not work for you. Once person can eat all day and don't gain any weight, but I can eat a slice of cake and I swear I gain 5lbs from it. Pick your goal and figure out what is realistic for you to reach that goal. If you know you can't cancel carbs then eat them in moderation. If you know you have to have a soda, then reward yourself with one at the end of the week.

Photo From Corbis Image

After figuring out what will work for you, sometime leaning on someone for encouragement can be that extra boost you need to make sure you are staying dedicated to "Yourself"! A group of friend and myself are helping each other on a daily basis by staying in touch with each other and seeing how we progress. If we need advice we are there for each other, even when we don't do so well we still use words of encouragement to keep one another moving forward towards our goals. You will be less likely to quit if you have a great support system. One of my friends created a secret group on Facebook for us to post anything on there relating to our "getting healthy" journey. This is very helpful because some people can be very vernable about their weight or unhealthy eating habits, so having someone who share some of the same issues as you do is very encouraging to let yourself know that you are not alone!

Phot From Crash Test Mommy

Remember being healthy starts with you! Take time for you and that doesn't necessarily mean having to work out and eat healthy. It can be referred to as just going to Barnes and Nobles having a coffee and reading a book. "Me Time" can help prevent an unhealthy lifestyle.

Read this article (Finding Time for "Me" Time) This article breaksdown different thing you can do for yourself depending on how much time you have to give.

Happy Mother's Day!

When this day arrive I can't help butb to think about the person who has given me the tools I need to be a good mother and that is my mother...She is a wonderful woman, mother, wife and friend. My mother does what she can for everyone, she has the kindest heart. My mother willingness to put her children first and take care of their needs has help developed us into respectful adults. I know some people don't communicate with their parents as much when they become adults and move out the house, but I talk to my Mom at least 6 days out of the week! I love just sitting on the phone with her at night, watching tv together and talking about things that I could only share with her. We have such a wonderful bond and that took time, trial and error and a lot of love to build.

I also think about my grandmothers who are no longer with me, but have given me such guidance in my life. Thelma Block was my mother's mom and she was an awesome cook! I know from my cooking skills that has transpired into me! Thanks grandma! Helen"Granny Jean" Cheatham was my father's mom and she was very crafty! She can take something so simple and make it into something awesome. She showed me so many things to do with a glue gun. So I thank her for this, because of those things I am able to run my own hairbow business (Shel's Sassy Bows). It's amazing how a strong woman can impact your life!

As a mother, I am dedicated to raise my sons to be respectful and successful young men. I want them to cherish their childhood while they can and always rememeber they have a mother who loves them dearly. I feel like if I can accomplish those things that I have succeeded in life. Being a mother is the greatest gift any woman can ever have. But it's important to remember how we care for that gift is most important!



So on this special day I want to wish all my family and dear friends a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Natural Hair...Moisture Remedy

So I noticed that a lot of my friends who are natural come to a stop in the road with their hair and can't seem to keep it moisturized. I myself just a few weeks ago too struggled with this. To be honest my busy schedule and being too tired at night to keep up with my nightly routine and is what caused me to loose moisture in my hair. Now that it's getting warm again, I need to more than ever get back into the swing of things so this TEXAS HEAT don't dry out my hair.

I knew what to do for my hair just wasn't doing this as aften as I should, but here is a great way to restore moisture in your hair overnight.

First I would take my spray bottle, which is filled with water and little olive oil and I know some of you may think oil and water don't mix. But I have discovered that when I place my bottle in the microwave for a few seconds and then shake the bottle the two blend well and does great for my hair. You don't have to use olive oil, you can use any oil that you like and what suits your hair needs. I have heard some people state that their hair reacts differently to certain oils. So give your hair what it likes! You will know because it will look healthy. So I take the bottle and spray my hair down until its nice and damp.

Next I take my wide tooth comb and section my hair off into four large sections. I use my demi brush and gently detangle my hair. To make sure my hair is detangled to my liking I take my wide tooth comb again and comb through my hair. If my comb can go straight through without any tugs or pulls then its detangled enough for me.

You can find this in most hair stores. I find any brand works
as long as it 100% natural!

I find this at Dollar General
 for about $3.00

When my hair is really dry I know it's time to put my raw shea butter to work. I get a small glass bowl and take out about a tablespoon or two and place in the bowl. I take about a tablespoon of vitamin E oil and place it in the bowl. I place the bowl in the microwave for about 20 seconds to let the shea butter soften. Once soft enough to mix, I mix the two until it's nice and creamy. At this point if my hair dampness has dried up some,  I take my spray bottle and give my hair a light mist.

Section by section I take some of the shea mixture and rub it into my hair and give my ends a little extra, because we all know how the ends can dry out quicker. To help the moisture really set into each strand of my hair, I perform twists on my hair. You can twist your hair to the size of your liking. I like to do medium twists because the results when I take them down looks better for my hair styling.

Once my hair is twisted all over I take my silk cap and place it over my hair. Sleeping in a silk cap is another key element in helping restore moisture in your hair as well. The following morning I take some oil into the palm of my hand and rub it through all the twists and then take them down one by one. This night time remedy I consider to be my deep moisturized therapy. This is something I don't do every night and it works best for me when I first wash my hair that week. This is a good process to follow at the beginning of the week. Through out the week I use my Cantu Coconut Curling Cream at night on my hair and just retwist. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to ask. I don't mind sharing my remedies, because what works for me might just work for you!

Happy Natural Journey...