Best Way to Dry your 4C TWA Natural Hair

If you’re anything like me, you recently went natural and are rocking your cute lil’ TWA, or “Teeny Weeny Afro”. My hair type is 4C and for me that means it’s DRY and shrinks like nobody's business! I always have to make sure it's moisturized and I try to keep it as stretched as possible. This can be tough because my hair has a mind of its own, but overtime I’ve found ways to keep it in that state without too much effort. I’m a self proclaimed “lazy natural” and I just don’t have the energy or care to be worried about my hair all the time. I make it a point to keep my 4c hair in a moisturized, stretched state with the least amount of effort possible!

For this to happen, one of the most important days is wash day because of the drying process. 

When I dry my hair I keep these four steps in mind: Conditioning Comb Out, Damp Drying, Damp Moisturizing, and Stretch Styling.

Three Home Crafting DIYs to do During the Time that you’re Home

With quarantine being the new normal in so many of our lives, a lot of us are finding that we have way more time on our hands than we’re used to. If you find yourself bored in your house- wishing you had something interesting to do, consider using the extra time to create a better atmosphere for yourself and revamping your space! 

This is the perfect time to get in touch with your environment and create an ambiance that fuels your creativity and gives you a newfound appreciation for your home.

I’ve come up with three easy home crafting DIYs that you can do during your time at home. You’ll be able to get your imagination to work and create beautiful pieces for your place in no time!

Decluttering 101: Tips for New Moms

As a first time mom, I accumulated a lot of stuff. A lot of gifts - mixed in with a few purchases. Now that Ava Rose is almost two. We decided to get rid of half of the stuff and keep the best ones for baby #2 *Whenever we are ready for that* 

When it comes to decluttering your space, there is honestly no right or wrong way to go about it. Everyone has their own routine that works for them but for someone like me who is extremely sentimental... it takes forever for me to start. Best outlook to have - It all comes down to simplicity and minimizing unnecessary things in your space!

Meet Aminata: Spiced Beauty Contributor

Meet Aminata!

She's a recent College graduate who will be writing on the blog for the next 3 months!

Three Protective Hairstyles For Natural Hair To Do At Home

Bantu knots, box braids, weaves, cornrows, you name it, we’re constantly rocking these looks with style and grace! My personal favourite are box braids because they are so convenient. You can get them installed and not have to worry about doing your hair for some weeks! What a relief eh? Especially with the weather we have in Canada, black protective hair care is a must! Plus, it can be an affordable way of protecting your hair. If you’re a naturalista like myself, then you are probably quite familiar with the hairstyles mentioned. I mean, it’s basically a part of our DNA! I thought I would list three black hair care styles that you can try this year to keep your curls healthy and growing smoothly!

3 Hair Oils That Work For Natural Hair

Editor note: There will be a few more posts coming out about Natural hair coming up shortly. Shoot me an email or comment below if there is anything that you want me to cover!

When it comes to our natural hair, we have to be very careful when it comes to choosing the right products. We have to ensure that we are protecting our royal manes every day. I like to add hair pomade and oils to my hair in order to maintain its moisture and promote the hair growth process. My personal favourites are avocado butter, which contains avocado, shea butter and coconut oil. It smells really great and works well too! Usually when I apply the product 2 days back to back, I’m able to keep my hair moisturized until the end of the week. 

All of this depends on the type of natural hair you have of course!

Four simple ways to fall asleep quick!

During this time the hardest thing for me has been sleep. Yes... I do have a one-year-old who sleeps extremely well! But currently the main questions in my mind is... When will this Quarantine be over? Will I be spending my birthday in quarantine? When will my husband have to go back to work? I could go on and on but we don't have the time. I know I’m not the only one who has all these questions. If you really sit down and think about it- it will keep you up all night.

Bored? Five things to do while in quarantine!

It's May! 

We want to go out, play, eat, travel ... see family. Should I keep on going? 

Don't laugh at me but I miss walking the aisles of Winners/Home Sense. 

Man.. we're going stir crazy. I get it! We ALL want this virus gone. 

Are you looking for things to do while in quarantine?

Here are some ideas!

Homemade Skin Care Remedies in your Fridge: Fruits and Vegetables

EDITOR NOTE:
I know that during this quarantine we have all been guilty of buying to much of something. Mine was bananas and thank God for banana bread! Just incase you have some extra fruit in your fridge- check this out!

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Ever wondered about other skin care remedy options that are not only cost effective but can be found just about anywhere? What if I told you that your next skin care remedy is in the comfort of your own home? I am going to be giving you the tea on skin care options in your fridge that will whip your skin back to shape for the low low!

Here are 5 natural skin care remedies 

you can find in your fridge:

21 Mommy bloggers share their toddler routines and activities

It’s crazy how things change so quickly. I am grateful to stay home and have my family safe... But I’m not gonna lie- I can tell how bored she is. There’s not much I can do to change the boredom especially with me working but I decided to give her her own space in our living room.

Most of the stuff we already had! The only thing that I purchased was a table set from IKEA which was extremely affordable at $30 CAN. My husband purchased the toy box plus she made me that lovely art in the background for Mother’s Day. I thought it would be a perfect addition to her space. I love that she has a place that she can go when she feels like she wants to sit down and eat or quietly play.

TIPS: How To Make Your Nails Grow Stronger

The secret to perfect looking nails all comes down to establishing a consistent grooming routine. For mine, I always make sure that mine includes daily washing, moisturizing and proper maintenance. When it comes to keeping your nails strong, there are many things that can be done to maintain its strength, appearance and health.

It is also important to make sure they aren’t cutting your cuticles off, which stunts nail growth.

Here are helpful tips to keep your nails strong!

Easy Fun Easter Activities for the Family

Every year I try to come up with new and exciting activities built around Easter. This year I have created my top three family fun Easter activities that all can join in to create memories. But, most of all this holiday is near and dear to my heart because it is the celebration of Jesus- which is important to teach our kids!

Family Fun Easter Activities

The Best Lip Care Routine For Dry and Cracked Lips

I’m just gonna put out a few self-care posts to occupy myself (and help others) while in Quarantine. Right now, you’re probably doing one of two things... Actually three. 

1. You are either taking AMAZING care of yourself so that when the ban is lifted-
   you look fresh and ready to go. 
2. Or you look OKAY to go outside-
   but you would love to book a beauty treatment when available. 
3. Or you look like a literal cave person-
   you're literally ready to camp out at your salon, spa or lash tech house to be the first in line.

One of the first things I noticed that started to go haywire was my lips. Inside my house is SUPER dry and it's literally taking a toll on my lips. At first I ignored it but when my husband started to comment... LOL. I knew I had to do something other than blame the Canadian weather!

So to get my kissable, I do a combination of three things.

Five signs that you might need a social media break

In today's generation, social media is at the forefront; it has become the biggest form of mass communication for people all over the world. You can now post a wide variety of things from the comfort of your own home, your favourite coffee shop, or even on a hot, sunny beach. Gone are the days when there needed to be mass newspapers or social gatherings on the television screen, to keep you up to date on the latest world news. Everything is now in a central place, easily accessible from anywhere, at anytime. Although social media has its benefits, it can also pose a lot of potential challenges for those who consume it more often than normal.

Here are 5 signs that you might need a social media break

Top 5 Acids You Should Add to Your Daily Skin Care Routine

With the heavy winter months, it’s important that you make sure to keep up to date with your skin care regime. That includes making sure to use the right products that will help protect, moisture, hydrate and nourish your skin, to ensure it survives the harsh weather.
Don’t neglect to give your skin the TLC it deserves! 

Here are 5 skin care acids that are a must for your routine

Guest Post: International Women's Day

If we stop and think how powerful a woman is and what we were created for and how our bodies can endure so much pain and create life one should be amazed! But that is not our only function. I truly believe that women need to find their voice in life at some point but it doesn't help when we are cut down by the opposite sex and our fellow women! We should support one another, encourage uplift and celebrate one another. We live in a world today where women get taxed more for products or get a different salary opposed to men. That is not equality.

The Best Way to Introduce Food to a Picky Child

I am not sure if your kids are like mine! They love to eat pizza, chicken nuggets and tater tots all the time! Those are mom’s quick go-to’s on those long days of working and juggling motherhood. But, seriously kids are picky they hate veggies and anything that has texture! It feels like mission impossible at times.

So what do you do?

Get creative! That’s what you do… super creative in the nutrition world for kids!

Three easy ways to maintain your braids

When it comes to protecting your curls, it can sometimes be a hassle because you’ll be running around frantically, trying to decide on a protective hairstyle to save you for the coming months. For me, I can definitely relate to this and always opt for the first style that always comes clutch -- box braids.

Box braids are so amazing! They are super low maintenance, don’t require tons of product, and keep your mane tucked away until you’re ready to release it again. Most importantly, it helps to promote growth for your hair -- something that I truly need because my hair has been struggling of late.

I’ve had my braids in for about a little over 2 months now and have been quite proud to have maintained it thus far with the help of three easy tricks! Now, let me drop the tea so that you’ll be able to continue rocking your braids, stress-free!

CATRICE Cosmetics has launched in Canada

This is my first time trying Catrice Cosmetics! 

I seen them in Shopper's Drug Mart earlier this year but totally had no time to explore. 

Who is Catrice Cosmetics?

A luxury-inspired makeup brand with VERY affordable prices. 

They launched in Canada in March. Hasn't even been a year in Canada yet!

I love that there are a lot of 5 star reviewed products on website.

Image from Catrice site

Benefits of Adding a Serum to Your Skincare Routine

We all want to look younger and stay away from those unwanted wrinkles and frown lines! There are so many old wives tales that fuel our passion for that beautiful smooth glow. What if a skin serum could change it all! 

Yup, that’s right. 

Three scents to boost your mood in 2020

Now that it’s 2020, we’re seeing people on the hunt to crushing their goals and self-reflecting on the rest of the year ahead. I’m definitely a part of those people who want to make 2020 a truly transformative year, in terms of my personal development, growth, and just overall success! To jumpstart that process, I have been looking into essential oils, particularly ones that aid in boosting your overall mood. I’ve heard a lot about their calming and aromatherapy benefits and wish I had jumped on the bandwagon sooner, because they would have definitely helped me. I noticed throughout much of 2019, I had periods of time when my mood was heavily depleted and it definitely affected the goals and plans I had in place for the year. 

Life Update + Tips for Choosing Child Care

A while back I wrote a blog post about being a Self Employed/Entrepreneur Mom and Working from Home with a Baby. I’ve never knew how much love that would get. As fun as it was having her at home (seven days a week with me)- I know that she was getting bored and it was requiring me to take a lot of time out of my schedule to play/entertain her. Which is fine some days BUT when you have deadlines!! Not ideal. I always felt horrible having to have the TV on in the background at times.

After extensive research and moving houses- I decided to get "help". Making sure that she was with the best care. How extensive are we speaking? I mean going to four of the best day cares in my city within 48 hours. Which was insane but literally allowed me to compare them with fresh eyes. We decided on one which was completely out of my traditional ideas of a daycare but she loves it.

HOW did I do it?

Decluttering Tips that you Need to Know if You're a New Mom

A mother’s job is hard enough! We have to stay organized and know where everything is at a moment's notice! Especially if your child is having a meltdown and not able to find what they are looking for. How many times do you go to a store and your child begs you to just buy one more toy, game or craft. In the back of your mind your thinking “oh geez”… MORE clutter to add to the mess. We have to constantly organize and declutter their spaces!

One golden nugget of truth is from when children are young always include them in the clean-up stages to help them be responsible and take pride in their space … bonus they tend to remember where things are too! It’s so hard to stay ahead of the game by cleaning and decluttering areas to help ease our stress but in the long run, keeps kids entertained and they learn as time goes on. I’m happy I came up with this plan- so I would stop doing double the work!

Here are my top tips for decluttering spaces