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What finally made me decide to go Natural

Posted on by Michelle
My hair in Aug. ’08
After using a relaxer to straighten my hair for 20 years, there I was trying to decide if I should go Natural.  For me this would mean “re-learning” how to do my hair.  The last time my hair was Natural, my mother was still doing it for me.  I even called to ask her about my hair texture back then.  It wasn’t so thick and crazy that she didn’t know what to do with it.  I also remembered how long it was. 
Then it was like a light finally went on…my hair was long back then.  I also thought that it was pretty sad that I couldn’t even remember what my own hair texture was before the relaxer.  So, that was it, I had my mind set on growing out my relaxed hair.  I figured, I spent twenty years wearing it straight, so why not spend the next twenty natural?
Of course I had to talk it over with my husband.  He and I have known each other since High School and this would be new for both of us.  For weeks I kept asking him if he was okay with it.  Finally he just said, “I didn’t marry you for your hair!”  He was behind me 100 percent.  Even now, when I look at how fast it’s growing, he keeps saying how he knew all along that it would be healthier if I just quit putting all that harsh stuff in my hair. 
My hair in May 2010
So there you have it.  The last time I used a relaxer was in July of 2008 but I didn’t actually decide to go natural until October of the same year.  I waited until May of 2009 to chop off the relaxed ends. 
To watch my video on how I did it, check out my YouTube channel, mitchellzee

Chataqua Park–Boulder, CO

Posted on by Michelle
The view from the park entrance
With the mountains so close, there is always something to do that involves nature.  Normally we settle for hiking close to home at a nearby resevoir or nature reserve.  Since we were in Boulder to see the Celestial Seasonings tour, we just had to stop and take a hike at Chataqua Park.
Colorado University campus down below
The park is located off Baseline road which makes it pretty easy to access.  It sits just west of Colorado University, home of the Buffs.  What I love about the park is that all of the trails are easily accessible (without getting lost) and have great views of the city below.  Near the entrance there is a nice open park and playground where families can picnic.  There is a Ranger station where you can learn more about the trails and pick-up maps and a restaurant for a bite afterwards. 
Flat Irons
I have hiked Chataqua with just my oldest son (8 yrs old) and myself before, but this was the first time at the park for the twins who are 5.  My boys and I have been hiking ever since they were very young and now hiking is just how we roll.
The only way to get to the trails is up.  I noticed right away that I was huffin’ and puffin’ a lot more than the last time I was up there.  I’m glad my husband was there because the boys were jumpin’ on every boulder in site. The outstanding views made for a great payoff.  I figured, “What the hay, it’ll be awhile before we make it back,” so I trudged on. 

Celestial Seasonings Tour

Posted on by Michelle
Boulder, CO
Nestled in the Foothills of Boulder, Colorado is the headquarters for Celestial Seasonings Tea.  The company was founded in 1969 and has been producing herbal teas ever since.  Here in Colorado, it is common knowledge that the company offers a free tour of the facility.  So, we packed up the kids and made the 40 minute drive out to Boulder. 
Our “Tickets”–Packets of Herbal Tea
While waiting for the tour to begin, we sat down and enjoyed some tea samples.  The visitor area was decked out with lots of original artwork and information about the companies’ history.  Next, we viewed a short film about how it all began during the, “Summer of Love,” when life (and the company) were much simpler.  It went on to talk about all of the places throughout the world where the tea leaves and botanicals for the herbal teas are produced.
After the viewing, we were led on a tour through the factory.  We were all fitted with lovely hairnets prior to entering.  My husband laughed when I could just barely fit my curly fro into mine.  I got my revenge when he was outfitted with a “beard net” for his facial hair. 
One of the highlights was the much anticipated Peppermint room.  The smell was so intense from all of the Spearmint and Peppermint stocked to the ceiling, that it cleared the sinuses and irritated our eyes a bit. 
Lastly, we ended up in the Gift Shop where we bought a few boxes of tea at discounted prices.  We love drinking tea on a daily so we were in “tea heaven”. 

Stay Relaxed or Go Natural?

Posted on by Michelle

So there I was without a flat iron and wondering how on earth I was going to start growing my damaged hair longer.  I was already certain that my hair was suffering because of the lighter hair color I decided to use for two years.  What else was I doing wrong?

I jumped on Google and did a search on growing african american hair longer.  I found a site called “growafrohairlong.com”.  I read about how the site’s founder, Robin Woods, grew her hair to about waist length by using the “Crown & Glory” method.  She talked about using braids as a protective style to help retain hair growth. She also gave suggestions on how to care for the hair like, how to comb it and deep conditioning.  The thing I remember most was how she explained that she only did a relaxer 2 times per year.  Say what!  She would go 6 whole months without a relaxer!  That seemed like an extremely long time to me considering the longest I went between relaxers was 8-10 weeks.                  
My hair after my 1st pregnancy
I found out that this method was called “relaxer stretching”. Basically you use a relaxer less frequently to give you hair a chance to grow.  To me that really made sense because I remembered how long my hair was after my first pregnancy.  I stopped doing any haircolor or relaxers during that time because I didn’t want it to effect my baby and my hair flourished as a result.
While I researched it more I kept seeing all of this information about, “going natural”.  I had no idea what that meant at the time so I was fascinated.  It seemed like there were so many women out there who just decided to let go of the relaxer altogether.  Then I started to see all of the cool hair styles that you could do if your hair was in its’ natural state.  I really wanted to go natural and grow my hair long but I wasn’t sure how I would look.  And then there was my hubby…what was he going to think.  So, I was at a crossroads.  Would I go natural or keep it straight?
Next time, “What finally made me decide to go Natural”

Summertime Lemon Iced Tea

Posted on by Michelle

My husband and I love Iced Tea.  I came up with a recipe that is quick and not too sweet.

Tools
1) 2 quart Pitcher
1) 2 Cup Measuring Cup
Ingredients
2 Large flow thru Iced Tea bags
Luzianne or Lipton brand
2 Cups water (for brewing)
1/2 Cup sugar
4 Lemon slices
Place the two tea bags in the measuring cup and fill with water to the 2 cup line.  Brew tea in the microwave for 2 minutes and 45 seconds.  When the microwave stops, leave the cup and teabags to steep in the microwave for 12-15 minutes.  While the tea is brewing, slice a small lemon in half and thinly slice one half to make 4 slices.  Place the slices in the bottom of the pitcher.  Add in the sugar.  Once the tea is finished brewing, pour into the pitcher covering the sugar and lemons.  Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves.  Fill the pitcher to the top with cold water.  Slice up the remaining half lemon for garnish.  Serve and enjoy!