"There's so much to be thankful for"

“Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, lightly season the ground beef with adobo and sazón. Take a large skillet and cook the meat with sofrito, as the meat cooks, cut the ripe plantains into long slices and fry them until golden. Then spread 2 large servings of ground beef into the baking pan. Once it is spread, place the cooked plaintains over the meat. Continue to spread another layer of ground beef and follow with the plaintains. Repeat. Lay the last layer of ground beef and then take the beaten egg and spread it over the ground beef. Place it into the oven and 40 minutes later, there you have it. That’s the dish Norma Broomfield looks forward to making for thanksgiving, pastelon, or what she likes to call, ‘Puerto Rican Lasagna’,” (taken from my feature story: Thanksgiving Day). This is one of my highly anticipated Thanksgiving Day dishes. Food is definitely something my entire family can agree on, we all adore it! I love thanksgiving, and not only because I get to stuff my face without judgment, but truly because I love my family. We are the epitome of a melting pot. We’ve got some Puerto Rican flavor, African American flavor, Costa Rican, a hint of Jamaican, some Pakistani, Dominican, Dutch, Scottish, Lithuanian, Irish and tad of German for the whip cream on top. So with all these different flavors it is always bound to be a good time. We each bring something different, but amusing. That’s why I look forward to Thanksgiving. We have our differences, our hair textures, our skin complexions, our disagreements for sure, but the one thing that has always remained constant for me over these 21 years is no matter what is going on, I still feel their love. Even if were not all together, or haven’t spoken in awhile, when we reunite its as if we never left each other, a fantastic time. Each and every one of them contributes this this splendid day, mind you my mother is one of eight, my father is one of four, and for the most part both families unite on Thanksgiving, so you can understand me when I say there is so much to be thankful for! God has truly blessed us. I hope that your thanksgiving was as magnificent as mine.

Be thankful,Xoxo

DIY: Gel Manicure & Design

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRf4ZS23_CE Be Ingenious, Xoxo 

Nature's Calling...

Do you know what I love most? No it’s not shoes, even though they’re pretty high on my list, it's FOOD. Yes, my skinny butt is a fatty (well not my butt, but my lifestyle). I have a pretty fast metabolism and most of my life I hated it. I didn't like the fact that I was so small, but with time I learned to accept the things I wasn’t so fond of about myself. Even through my awkward stage of not liking my body, the constant, continuous comment I would get was “How lucky you are that you can eat like a man, and not gain a pound.” Well folks, I don’t feel so lucky right now, because after all the burgers, pizza, fries and pretty much everything else, my body is screaming out, “I CAN’T TAKE IT.” So I’ve decided to make a change and be 100% natural. The first transition was my hair; the second, more recent one is my lifestyle.

“We all want to feel better, live healthier, look our best. Living a more natural lifestyle will help in these areas but will more importantly simplify your life and create more balanced awareness and overall state of well being.” (undergroundhealth.com)

I’m guessing I made a good decision, huh? Although living a natural lifestyle is simple, the transition from fat booty pig → to healthy living is not. Let’s explore the benefits, in efforts to help your transition.Over time, living a natural lifestyle has several benefits. It helps support a stronger immune system, less weight problems and better sleep. Nicole Wilkins saw an overall change in her appearance, mood and quality of life when she changed her diet. “By switching to whole foods I’ve seen major improvement in my hair, nails, skin, and energy.” Natural foods have more nutrition than conventional foods. Studies have shown that “organic fruit and vegetables have about 50% more antioxidants that scientists believe could reduce the risk of cancer or heart disease.” (vkool.com) Now I know that it may be hard to believe that eating fruits tastes better than chowing down on a burger, but it does! Real quick, don’t lie. If you’ve tasted organic foods before, don’t you see the difference when you eat the foods you’re not supposed to? Well if that doesn’t convince you to change your diet than think of how it affects others. Steering away from foods containing pesticides and all that other nasty stuff will help protect our future generations and the earth as well!I’m sure you all have heard of natural foods that you can eat, but did you know that some of these foods could be used for medical benefits? Let’s explore those, just for fun!Apple cider vinegar helps with the common cold, acid reflux, sinus infections, ear infections, yeast infections and urinary tract infections (because those are dreadful in and of themselves).If you have a headache, before you reach for the Advil, try a potato. According to prevention.com, “The 37 g of carbs in a medium potato can ease a tension headache by upping serotonin levels, as long as you keep the fat and protein below 2 g.”Cayenne Pepper is something strong, but it has been proven when paired with honey that it can help curb your cough! In addition to helping that cough cayenne pepper can also help a toothache, migraines, blood clots and your overall digestive system. Cool, right? Let’s live healthier, change your diet today!          Be Organic,Xoxo

"I don't feel like spring, I feel like a warm red Autumn"

Fall fashion season has to be one of my favorites because of the plethora of style. From leather pants to oversized sweaters, the versatility creates a picturesque masterpiece! Today’s post is all about the different looks for the fall. With the help of my friends, you’ll be able to see how fun and creative fall style can be.

 Courtney Stith often finds fashion inspiration in everything, but lately she has been looking to FaithHaslem (twitter: @faithstyleuncut) to get her outfit inspiration. Courtney’s style is dependent on how she is feeling. Check out the deitz of her weekend fit!Fedora -f21 mens, $17Jean vest - american apparel, $68Blouse - thrift store, under $10High waist jeans - h&m, $20 Booties- bakers, $110     Erica Butler always has a process of putting an outfit together. There is usually one item that she is set on wearing; the rest simply builds around it. Although Erica feels most of her inspiration comes from within, she sometimes gets inspired by her lovely boss, Angelica Capozzi and fabulous sister, Elyse for ideas. 

So you like the look, huh? Here is where you can get it! 

       

        Raishada Johnson loves to incorporate comfort into her style, but always has to be cute. When she is looking for style inspiration her go to fashionista is Teyana Taylor (ig: teyanataylor). "She knows how to be cute without being too showy." 

Rock this Teyana Taylor Style:

Plaid Shirt- f21, $19  

T-Shirt- H&m, $17 

Jeans- f21, $25

Shoes- $150, Finishline, 

Lipstick- Kiko 710, $4 

Be Stylish, 

Xoxo

Best when Braided

Almost everyone I know has a hair drought season, I seem to always have two! Since the summer my hair has been super rebellious. My drought season tends to be in the wintertime because of the cold weather, but I am starting to feel like fall has been added into the drought mix. Naturally, I was bummed when I took my twists out and my hair felt like a brillo pad. I contemplated putting a relaxer back in my hair, getting a weave and/or wig (synthetic because I’m cheap) and even cutting it. Yes! Cutting it all the way up to my ears. Thankfully my cousin advised me that I had other options and the final outcome was box braids.Now people, I have never added extensions to my hair before so this was an adventure in and of itself. I could do without the 9-hour installation process but I guess I should have expected that being that my braid were down to the middle of my back. I only had my braids in for 3 weeks because I get bored easily, but within those 3 weeks I definitely saw a change in my hair. It grew about 1.5 inches, a little shorter in some areas (aka my dreadful bangs) and although it is still a little dry, I feel the moisture slowly starting to come back into my hair. So my routine and how I managed, huh? Well being that this was my first time with braids I probably could have done some things better. Like ensuring that I slept with my hair tied up and covered every night. But I did my research and figured out a system that kept my braids feeling soft, my scalp feeling nourished and my hair smelling good! I would oil my scalp at night with Raw Shea butter reconstructive finishing elixir; this really softened my braids and added much needed moisture to my scalp without creating build up (which I tend to have sometimes). I ordered it from amazon for $13 because I couldn’t find it at my local CVS. In the morning as I would get ready for my day I would apply coconut and hibiscus curl enhancing smoothie.This not only helped my hair smell good, but also controlled the frizz I started to get near my roots. I would apply a little amount with some water and put a scarf on my head as I was getting dressed. I used these two products because they are from the same company and I’m trying not to be a ‘product junkie’ and have 7 different products in my hair. There are several products that are good for box braids, so if you aren’t a fan of the Shea moisture products then just looks up what’s good for braids.And that was basically it! I did this for 3 weeks and saw a noticeable difference in my hair. I will definitely be trying box braids again. I think it is a great protective style and easy to manage, not to mention they look great! Test them out, try something new, it’s always fun to change up your hair.Be bodacious,Xoxo