i deserve the worst blogger ever award...(half marathon update)

life has just gotten away from me in the past few weeks.
i'm back at college, and hopefully getting in a more regular routine will encourage me to adhere to my blogging duties.

anyways, quick update on my half marathon progress.
I have actually signed up for a half marathon, a Monster Dash on October 21st. I'm very excited. I'm currently on Week 5 of the program that I've been using, and the progress I'm making seems to be solid.

i will have a few hair related posts coming your way...i got a weave so i will make sure to create a post about that.

product review: garnier fructis curl calm down anti-frizz cream

photo credit: Amazon.com

i tried this product out on a complete whim for two reasons:
1) i am on the hunt this summer for a product with both moisture and hold for my braidouts and twistouts. i want to apply ONE product and be done with it.
2) garnier and I have an on-again, off-again relationship. the music in the commercials gets me every time. then some of the super drying shampoos bring me back to reality. 


cost/availability: $3.99 at Target and most drugstores


smell: all garnier products have this same sweet, slightly fruity smell. most people either love it or hate it. i love it, but it can be overbearing.


how i tested: as the sole product for this braid and curl. 


performance:i was left with dry, crispy hair that had fabulous definition and looked great...but felt like hay.


verdict:this would probably be good underneath a leave-in. all that hold probably just needed a moisturizing leave-in to soften things up. however, i wanted ONE product to provide both moisture and hold. you will not get moisture out of this product.


would i recommend? if you like trying new products and are just looking for something with hold, this is worth a shot. it doesn't cost much, and can easily be returned. 


would i repurchase? no, i would not. i returned it the next day. it didn't fulfill what i was looking for it to accomplish, so i don't have time to waste trying to fool around and make it work for me. 

product review: shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie

photo credit: Amazon.com

everybody and they mama seems to have used this product. i decided to try it out. I am in search of a "one-stop shop" product that will provide both moisture and hold to my out styles. I decided to try this one out. 


cost/availability: $9.99 at Target. it's also at walgreens.


smell: *insert rihanna voice* vanilla cakecakecakecake!! seriously delicious.


how i tested: after cowashing, i used it as the sole leave-in/styler for a braidout. i also used it in conjunction with my wrap foam for a braidout on a different occasion. i also used it as a leave-in underneath ecostyler clear gel for a wash-and-go puff. lastly, as the sole product for a twist n'curl


performance:
as a sole product for a braidout-instant poof! it was a very humid day that day i suppose, because i could feel my hair reverting to a fro AS I WAS UNRAVELING THE BRAIDS. 


with wrap foam for a braidout-a little more hold than without the wrap foam, but the 2 products didn't mix too well. it felt a little filmy.


as a leave-in for a wash and go puff, along with ecostyler-i suppose my hair was left with enough moisture. but the residue! oh lawd the residue! perhaps i'm heavy-handed, but i really felt it didn't absorb into my hair well. 


as the sole product for a twist n'curl-i had moisture and definition....until the humidity hit me. it seems as though this product encourages my hair to just absorb all the moisture in the air.


verdict: this product will provide moisture. lots of it. but the holding properties will vanish at the slightest drop of moisture in the air. you also will need to be careful of using too much, as it doesn't absorb well. due to these properties, it is useful for moisturizing my hair when i am wearing it in an updo or bun style, as it will retain the moisture and i will not have to worry about the humectant (drawing moisture from the air) properties. 5/10


would i recommend? would i re-purchase? YES-if you are looking for moisture alone, NO-if you want a product with moisture AND hold. 
NO, i wouldn't repurchase-i have no use for a product with just moisture and no hold in my regimen. i already have staple moisturizers. 

easy summer hair: bantu knots

i just love these so much.
i get three reactions wearing them:
some people:"omg, i love them, how'd you do that?"
kids: "do you have snails in your head?" lmao.
other people: *blank stare, attempting to figure it all out*


meh, i'm very unconcerned.
i'm way past the stage of caring too much what other people choose to make of my hair choices.

i can do and have done them neater, but these are working for right now.

random hair snap

this was from my spring break trip to ny.
i started out with flat ironed hair, which quickly got poofy.
so i did various things, and utilized this hat that i got at the massive forever 21 in times square.

side braid.

i can't wait till my braid is longer and way more fly. 

ootd throwback: NY trip

the boyfriend and I took a trip to NY back in march.
i found these and thought we were cute. 

his outfit: all polo everything (insert eyeroll), he's so loyal lol

mine: skirt-gap, sweater-old navy, tank-forever 21, bag-mommy got it from mexico

hair: very old flat-ironed hair in a bantu-knot out

snacks: the happy "lotus garden" snack

i call this my "happy lotus garden" snack.


to explain: yogurt is known for being a great food for women to ingest to prevent yeast infections. if you are prone to them, make plain yogurt a part of your diet.


pineapple is known to make those lady parts have a...ahem..."sweeter taste," if you will.


the strawberries? I just really like the combo of pineapples and strawberries.

it's quick, easy, healthy, and filling. toss some roasted almonds  or some granola on top for some crunch. 

repost: easy peasy veggie pasta

whole wheat pasta (walmart brand, i ain't fancy)

green peppers

tomatoes

caned black olives

plenty of olive oil (i have a thang for olive oil)

seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, ms. dash

crumbled veggie meat-i used Worthington's FriChik

romano cheese

boil your pasta

saute your veggies and "meat" in olive oil.

season to taste

toss and serve

notes: I really don't believe canned veggie meat is the best thing, but i do use it sometimes. it can really be convenient. 

i am a fan of doing pasta without sauce. sometimes the sauce is the culprit for the high calorie content in pasta. try it out-you might start to prefer it!

i avoid salt at all costs. hypertension runs in the family, so i am very conscious about adding salt to my foods.


I just realized i have posted this before, but not with all of this info. so this is a repost. 

my diet

i describe myself as a pescetarian or pesco-vegetarian.


There is of course debate over what this label entails, but for me it means i eat a plant-based diet that includes fish. other people might include other seafood as well, but that is not my personal preference.


at this time, i also include diary and eggs in my diet.


i have a cheese addiction that i am currently struggling with, and I believe yogurt is good for me, so there you have it.


in the future? I would like to be a vegan and consume no animal products at all.


i have some ways to go before i get there, but it is something i want to accomplish before i'm 30 years old.


i will share a few recipes in later blog posts. :)

half marathon training!

i am currently training for a half marathon in the fall.
now, i haven't actually signed up for said half marathon, but i know that it will happen.
i am using Hal Higdon's half marathon training plan, the one for Intermediate runners. Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Training Program.
I didn't know if I qualify for the "Intermediate" runner label, but I do know that a) i already know i could finish and b)I want a good time, so i figure that seemed to fit his description of an intermediate runner.
I will keep you all posted on my progress!

summer hair: high bun

i was perhaps a little picture happy, but i thought i was cute :)

this was super easy.

i made a bun on freshly cowashed hair.

i made big twists, and pinned them.

then used the tail of a comb to "tease" the hair in the twists, making it fuller.

some ORS edge control on the edges, review coming soon.

voila!

sidenote: that wonky eye in the last pic lol.

short lived twists

my hair is fine/medium-low density.
this means the individual strands are fine (smaller than a thread) AND there isn't much hair per square inch on my poor little head.
due to this, i shy away from wearing twists because i feel as though they look very scalpy.
this has been one of my biggest woes as a natural.
i tried some out the other day.
only left in for 2 days, because the look was just NOT CUTE to me. they photograph better than they looked in person.

easy summer hair: quick clipped updo

this is definitely going into my summer hair rotation.
cowashed, added leave in, slicked down the front with ecostyler.
i then twisted my hair and clipped it up using one of the clips i use to make sections while styling.
easy, protective, and cute enough. 

hair update

i am slightly annoyed at the lack of progress i've been making, but i have no one to blame but my own darn self.
ah well.
i flatironed and got a trim recently. she advised taking off 1 whole inch, and even though it made my heart flutter, i said, "go right ahead."
i like keeping my hair blunt. 

so we shall see where i am by the end of this year.
hopefully some of this protective styling i plan to be doing will pay off....

ootd: fun summer nights (just one pic)

if you continue to read this blog, you will probably eventually come to the conclusion that I'm a party animal.
that's not entirely without truth.
i am a fan of having fun with my friends, and i figure i'm still young and cute, so i may as well live it up.
i wore this to a bar the other night. only took one appropriate cute pic. :)

top: forever 21

shorts: (i promise i am wearing shorts) american eagle

boots: charlotte russe

hair: blowdried, then braidout with rollers on the ends

twist/braid/bun challenge

i joined a twist/braid/bun challenge on the hair forum i'm a member of, LHCF.
it's from now until september, so you've been warned.
expect to see a whole lotta posts on protective styles, buns mainly. :)

introducing: the mister

my boo and i. i figured i may as well introduce him sooner rather than later.
he's my right hand man. :)

ootd: simple. casual. cool.

who knows if this even qualifies as an outfit?
i am one lazy girl sometimes when it comes to styling myself, especially when it's super hot. 
i just look at all my clothes, and pick out the comfiest looking thing.

top: forever 21

shorts: thrifted

summer hair: the quick ponypuff

sometimes you just gotta get up and go quickly.
i did this after a quick cowash.
slicked it back with some ecostyler.
left in aussie moist, and added a lil bit of ecostyler to the puff part for shine. 

very simple and quick.

ninja bun-an attempt

the ninja bun has been making its rounds on the online natural hair circuit.

it's basically a bun placed very near to the front of the head and a bit off center.

i tried it on a whim, on some dirty hair that had been previously in another bun.

turned out pretty cute.

next time i'll actually wear it somewhere, instead of just flossing for the camera.

braid and curl-cornrows and rods edition

i did the braid and curl a slightly different way that usual.
i did cornrows instead of single braids on slightly damp hair.
the only product i used was Garnier curl cream, which is a gawdawful product, review coming soon.
it looked great, but felt like hay.

i took a bunch of pics because it was awesome to me how big it was! i really didn't realize i could get 1st day hair that big, or perhaps it was the humidity outside.

My Apologies....

I'm sorry for my lack of posts lately.
I just started a summer program in which i get experience and professional development workshops in my field, and I seem to have no time on my hands.
I will resume regular posting ASAP, i just uploaded a bunch of pictures to my desktop. :)
Stay tuned.
Love,
Rocky

sleek bun

buns are great for a quick and super chic style.
i used ORS Edge Control for this style. it works really well at keeping the frizz down all day.
i used a donut shaper to make my bun larger and more structured.
it's just a more formal look, i think, than my own smaller bun.

Amateur Photog: Baha'i Temple visit

i live pretty near to a Baha'i Temple.

that isn't my faith, but it is open to anyone to appreciate the beauty. 

ootd: casual summer neutrals

top: forever 21 tunic
shorts: can't remember
wedges: old navy
bag: my mommy got it for me in mexico :)

twist and curl on small rollers

this is another cute style i like to do sometimes.

i did this on damp, nearly dry hair
products: giovanni leave in, elasta qp mango butter moisturizer, and elasta qp foam wrap.
i love styles that dry quickly, as in overnight, without the use of a hooded dryer.

summer hair: the wet bun

i like finding super easy, quick styles for the summer that don't require heat.

i sometimes cowash (rinse with conditioner) daily in the summer because i get really sweaty during my workouts and just being outside. so i stay looking for styles that i can do on my freshly cowashed hair.

one of my faves is the wet bun. pretty simple and always chic.

this bun is basically just a large twist pinned up.

products: V05 to cowash and leave in, coconut oil, and ecostyler gel for the edges.