Don’t you?
I joined Luvvie’s 31 Write Now challenge a few days ago. After yesterday’s post I decided to exhale. After all. It’s Friday.
*ahem* 😉
I’ve never seen Sons of Anarchy. But this video confirmed it…
I need SoA in my life. ASAP. Sesame Street parodies rule.
And here’s something for those who want to brush up on their classics.
What do you get when you combine slang (including random bleeped-out words), comedy, and literature? Thug Notes!
When I was younger, I read Jane Eyre twice. For fun. Sparky Sweets’ analysis slayed me. All I remember is thinking that Rochester was a pig for not telling Jane the truth.
Before I begin, watch this video. I chose it because it presents the main argument(s) I’ve heard against yoga in one concise package.
Now then. Let’s consider reality. I’ve been doing meditation and yoga for a little while. I’m not a pro. Still…A demon has yet to visit me.
Among Christians I notice that objections to yoga are due to ignorance. And fear.
Lately there’s been a lot of buzz about why people who are around my age are leaving the church. I don’t believe that they’re leaving merely because they think that it lacks relevance as an institution. Among other reasons, I think that people are fed up with organized religion because certain leaders insist on promoting ideas that are based on lies.
I long for the day when religious folks stop wasting time on imaginary boogeymen.
Hence, for the sake of this conversation, I’ll share a bit with you about why I meditate. (When I say “meditate” at this point, I’m also thinking of “yoga”. I once read that yoga is a form of meditation. I also know that some classes begin or end with it.)
Do you know what it’s like to have something on your mind all the time? I do. I find myself constantly thinking–usually about more than one subject. The sad thing is that this often happens when I’m supposed to be focused on something else. And in all honesty, it’s overwhelming.
In order to counteract all of this noise, I need a break. That’s what meditating offers me. It provides me with a mental detox. Practicing it does not ensure that I will be visited by evil spirits. Rather, it’s a great way to de-stress. When I pray, I’m still expending energy, outputting information. Meditation offers me the opportunity to take time out of my day and simply be still.
Also, contrary to what others would have you believe, there is nothing wrong with focusing inward. Not if doing so allows a person to obtain a bit of balance. The act of practicing meditation does not mean that one is turning his or her back on God. In fact, as far as I’m concerned, the opposite takes place.
Have any of you done yoga or meditation?
This is the end of the series on my haircare basics. If you missed my earlier posts, you can catch them here and here.
Today I’m sharing what I use to wash my hair.
Herbal Essences Hello Hydration – In June I bought the largest bottle on the shelf right before I started to undo my hair. (It’s over a liter of conditioner!!) Little did I realize that when it comes to taking out locs, the best thing for me to do was use either water, or nothing at all.
Nevertheless, the purchase wasn’t a waste. I’ve always loved using Hello Hydration on my loose natural hair. In addition to cowashing, it’s great for detangling.
I figure the size will save me money in the long run. The bottle is one point eighty-nine litres. I expect it to last me until doomsday Christmas.
I bought this brand purely based on the reputation of its conditioner counterpart*. If it disappoints me, you’ll be the first to know.
*If you type “tresemme naturals conditioner natural hair” into Google, a ton of search results will appear. Apart from Hello Hydration, TRESSemmé is the only other brand name that’s really been on my radar.
Well, not really. Still…Let me introduce you to someone.
A couple of months ago I tweeted @HowSheHustles. I mentioned 3 different leaders that I though the ladies should get to know. Marie Forleo is one of them.
Now, now. Don’t be put off by the title. I almost didn’t take it home, but the content won me over. Truth be told, her book should have been called Get Yourself Together, Girl. That’s what it’s mainly about—getting yourself together and making the most of your life.
The truth is that I forgot about Ms. Forleo for a long while. But I think an interview with Danielle LaPorte prompted me to visit her web site. Marie has gone beyond being a relationship expert, into the world of business. She offers female entrepreneurs great advice. Her focus is on service and authenticity. And fun. Her videos are always a joy to watch!
Mind you, I’m not too sure about it’s moisturizing properties. The main reason I keep it around is that it smells like butter tarts. (If you’re Canadian, you probably know what I’m referring to. If not, I feel sorry for you. 😉 )
Seriously, though. It smells amazing.
My only caveat is that it doesn’t dissolve easily. Normally after I’ve rubbed it between my palms for a few seconds, some bits of one of its heavier ingredients (a type of wax?) are still solid.
The packaging says that it “Softens and moisturizes fine, thin hair.” This statement made me pause.
Maybe there’s a secret black hair scale that I’m not aware of. But my hair’s pretty dense. And it loves this stuff!
Some people say that if you have type 4 hair, you should use Qhemet’s Alma Olive & Heavy Cream. However, that only worked for me some of the time. Quite often I felt that it was too heavy. If it’s too much for you, and you want to stick with Qhemet’s products, you might prefer their BRBC.
Since I’m trying to put more of myself into this blog, I thought it would be fun to do a brief series on what I use in my hair. I’m not a beauty authority. I’m just sharing what I’ve been using on mytype 4a-z hair.
After my locs were undone, I rounded up my old tools and products. I’ve been looking longingly at Honeyfig’s site. But I’m broke. And quite honestly, I already have what I need from them in the first place. (I’ll show you in my next post.)
Now then. A lot of natural-haired women seem to have a spray and an oil in their cabinet. These are mine…
Homemade Hair Spritz – Two of the main ingredients in a popular brand-name spritz for natural hair are water and vegetable glycerine. I bought it once purely so that I could say that I’d used it. Nevertheless, I remember that I felt a bit disappointed. I wound up spending a lot of money on something I could make from scratch with ingredients that I already had at home.
Do you have a favorite recipe? All I used is water, glycerine, and essential oils.
Basic Oil Blend – I have plenty left over from when I was locking my hair. Thus far I’ve used it mainly on my scalp.
It’s a combination of olive oil, castor oil, along with other oils such as almond, etc.
I also used essential oils such as rosemary, orange and lavender.
I don’t always have easy access to a mall with a MAC counter. Places like Walmart are closer.
Hence, earlier this summer, this video from African Export saved me.
For some reason, I couldn’t find the mauve or red shades that she mentioned. But if you’re a medium-brown toned black woman looking for a neutral lipstick, she used a couple of great options.
Here are my current loves: Yes, I know that in this photo they look very similar. But when you see them in real life, they’re just different enough to be two distinct colors.
On the left: Revlon 671 – Mink. This shade is an absolute nude match for me.
On the right: Revlon 135 – Chocolate Velvet. A slightly stronger brown. When I have it on it’s more obvious that I’m wearing lipstick. Still, it’s a great neutral shade.
In the past I’ve stuck with bolder browns that say HERE ARE MY LIPS. These two colors are a pleasant alternative.
I honestly don’t know what to say. Although I’ve been upset, all along, something has kept my soul from making an absolute connection to the anguish that others have expressed.
In all honesty, to me, the end of this trial felt more like a cliffhanger than a conclusion.
On Saturday night, I felt that a just outcome was still possible.
Since then, my hope has been emboldened by the news that the United States Justice Department is going to review the proceedings.
In the meantime, if you would like to make a donation, you can visit the following sites: Trayvon Martin Foundation
It revived the sense of wonder that I had as a child when I saw the first Superman films.
Rather than posting a typical review, I’ve decided to share a few random, SPOILER-filled thoughts. I should warn you that almost none of the paragraphs flow into each other. Also, don’t read any further if you don’t want to know about some of the film’s critical moments.
I mean it.
Really.
I do…
First things first: I really loved the clips of Clark Kent as a boy. In particular, the scene where Young Clark felt overwhelmed in school and his mother had to coax him out of hiding. Could you imagine being a kid and having to wrestle with superhuman abilities? Could you imagine being a parent and having to raise a son who could burn you by looking at you? Kudos to the writers for that scene. Not only did I feel Clark’s vulnerability. I caught a glimpse of what Martha Kent must have felt as the mother of such a precious and powerful child.
Jonathan Kent’s death broke my heart. In the aftermath, I was stunned. One thought lingered in my mind: “He didn’t want anyone to know that his son had powers THAT BADLY?!?” I don’t know which part upset me more: The elder Kent putting up his hand to say, “No, Son. Do NOT come get me,” or Clark bursting into tears as his father was swept away. At that point, a part of me wanted to scold Clark. I felt like saying, “I bet you feel bad now for what you said…” (Note: About a moment before this event, smart-ass-young-adult-Clark told Jonathan something like, “You’re not my Dad. You’re some man who found me in a field.”)
How much falling-building-disaster-porn could they have fit into the fight sequences? The scene featuring the destruction of Metropolis was extraordinary. Yet it also left me thinking. How do survivors of 9/11 feel while watching these sort of movies? Do they find them upsetting? Given the magnitude of some of the effects, I can’t help but wonder.
I never realized how fond I was of Russell Crowe as Jor-El until his likeness kept showing up after his death.
Lois Lane knows that Superman is Clark Kent. I’m interested in seeing how this will fit into the franchise’s future. At the very least it saves me from wasting precious energy being annoyed. Back in the day it drove me nuts. How is it that a Pulitzer-winning reporter couldn’t see past some clothing and a pair of glasses?
My only real complaint is that I feel as though one of the action scenes ran a bit long. (I’m referring to the segment where the army went after all of the Kryptonians, including Superman.)
Who knows, though? Maybe the length bothered me because the whole movie was intense. My brain and body weren’t able to rest for over 2 hours. I sat scrunched up with my hands in front of my face for about 99% of the film. On the way from the theater, Nicole mentioned that when she got home she would need to decompress. I felt the same.
By the way. Don’t think I didn’t notice that truck from LEXCORP. Because I did.
Overall, I thought Man of Steel was spectacular. I look forward to seeing its sequel(s).
claire.she.goes 