So what’s this curly girl method?

When I first posted a picture of myself on social media and asked for help with my frizzy hair (as I mentioned here), my friend said to google the Curly Girl Method (CGM). Ok, whatever…this isn’t curly hair, it’s frizzy hair. But, I trusted my friend wouldn’t lead me astray so off to google I went! I read about plopping, co-washing, no poo method…what in the world were these people talking about? Is this an alternate universe? I’ve never heard of these terms before! So, I began reading…and reading…and reading.

Now, before you start wondering if this is a scam or if I’m buying or selling MLM products to get my hair this way. The simple answer is 🚫NO🚫! I will talk about products in a future post but, for now, I’ll just say most my products come from one or two big box stores that begin with a letter T or W!  The CGM has transformed my hair. And, over time, my hair just keeps getting more and more healthy and curly! 

Twenty-four hours after I began to learn about treating my hair more naturally, I learned about plopping. Plopping is a specific way to wrap your hair after you wash it so your curls aren’t damaged by heat and can dry naturally. The bottom line is, don’t dry your hair with a regular towel! I started using an old 100% cotton t-shirt and I still use one all these months later. However, I’ve gone from plopping (as pictured below), to microplopping (also mentioned in the link above). And, I’m going to start trying slinky blotting on my next wash day. Plopping seems to be better for the curly 2’s with longer hair. Also note diffusing is an option but we will talk more about that later.

Next up, I’m going to share the details of how I wash my hair and the products I use. I know it’s a little out of order for you to learn about drying your hair before you learn how to wash it. But, it’s important you know this first so you’re prepared with your 100% cotton t-shirt before you wash. Remember, no towel drying! Be sure to subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss a step in getting your hair happy and healthy! 

So you want to be a hiker, huh?

Over the past few years, I have heard many people say they want to become a hiker. But, many times, they never quite get their shoes on and out the door. So, I have asked them why and overwhelmingly, the majority of them said they just didn’t know how to get started! 

Throughout my next few blog posts, I will help dispel any myths about hiking and give you advice to help you take those first steps out the door into the world of hiking.

According to the Outdoor Foundations report, in 2021 there were over 57.8 million participants in hiking. Hiking is one of the fastest growing trends in outdoor recreation. Now that’s something I want to be part of - don’t you? 

Why is hiking so popular? A few (very few!) reasons are:

• almost anyone can do it

• It provides an adventure

• Connect with nature

• Helps your mental clarity

• Helps improve your physical fitness

So, let’s get started! I want you to grab a pen and paper and write down some goals. If we don’t write them down, they are just dreams. We want to ensure our goals are SMART goals. SMART is an acronym for “Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound.” If you are unfamiliar with SMART goals, read this article.

What goals are you considering for this year? Do you want to hike once a week? Do you want to train for a longer distance hike? Or do you want to find the most wonderful pair of hiking boots you’ve ever worn in your life? We all have different goals and that’s what makes us unique. 

I’m excited to go along this journey with you and create some of my own goals for hiking in 2023. Let’s make this year the best year ever! 

Be sure to subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss this series! I want you to enjoy the wonder of hiking in 2023! It’s going to be fantastic!

Are you a curly or a wavy?

I never thought I was a curly or a wavy when I first started caring properly for my hair. I just thought I was a “frizzy!” That’s a thing, right? Wrong! 

It wasn’t until I was months down the road that, even though my hair was getting curls by the way I processed it, I was actually a wavy girl. You’ll see me use the term “curly girl” a lot when I generally speak about the process I’ve been through because I read a lot about the curly girl method and I use curly girl approved products. But, I am a wavy girl. 

It didn’t truly hit me until months down the road. So, let me spare you the trouble I went through and say that making your wave/curl type priority in this process is key! I found this article to be very helpful and realized I have 2B wavy hair, not curly hair. Understand your curl type is based on how your hair looks before you do anything or add anything to it, not after!

For comparison sake: after styling with products vs before styling with products.

Had I looked at my “after styling” hair (photo on the left), I would have easily considered my hair in the 3 “curly” type. I was new to the process, remember. Today, I would never even say I’m a 3! No way! I’m a 2 wavy girl all the way! 

I’m reading the article I referenced above, and as I noted in this article, I found out the gel I was using was far too heavy for my wavy hair! Through a lot of trial an error, I found two gels I really like. Cantu Flexible Hold Styling Gel and DevaCurl Supreme Defining Gel. I bought Cantu first since it was the same brand as the heavy gel. I liked it quite a bit. But, DevaCurl was very different. It made my waves feel nice and fluffy! There was no hard cast to it (more on that in another post). But, because there was no hard cast, I wasn’t sure if it was working the way it needed to. Remember, I was using a super heavy, super cast-y gel before this! The longer I go through this process, though, the more I tend to lean to those gels that don’t have a cast. Now, if I can just stop using too much of it, things should work out fine! 

If you’re starting to make changes to your hair and you’re looking for a little guidance, please subscribe to my blog and follow along. Next stop: the curly girl method! 

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What hiking boot should I purchase?

 

This is a very common question I hear asked by new hikers pretty regularly. The reality is, everyone’s foot is different and every shoe fits differently on your foot. If you were to ask your friend “what’s the best dress shoe to wear?” Chances are, you’d get as many different responses as the amount of people you asked. 

So, how do you find the best boots for you? The best thing to do is find a hiking or outdoor store that allows you to try on their boots. Get an idea for what feels best on your foot and make a purchase. 

Here are some things you want to consider when trying on your boots:

• Have enough space to wear thicker socks (pro tip: bring a pair of hiking socks with you to try on the boots)
• Purchase 1/2 to 1 full size bigger than your normal shoes as you’ll need that space for longer hikes
• Make sure the width is good for your feet
• Know the type of hiking you’ll be doing and if you should consider waterproof boots or not.

I talk a little bit about shoes in this video on my YouTube channel. 

Personally, my favorite pair of boots to date have been the Danner Mountain 600’s and the Salomon’s X Ultra 3. I don’t necessarily have a wide foot but I do have a higher arch and the wide shoes help with that. The good thing about both these boots is they needed no breaking in. I never got a single blister from either of them and they felt comfortable from day one. 

If you’re looking for that “I’m a hiker” look but you don’t want to wear your hiking boots around all day, check out these unique fashion boots on Shopify! 

Happy hiking! 

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When your hair surprises you!

For most my life, I always thought I had straight hair. But, each time my hair got approximately shoulder length, it started getting frizzy and I’d head to the salon to get it cut! One day I decided to grow it out because my stylist told me about this amazing treatment called Keratin. While the initial *gulp* of $300+ for the treatment always sent shockwaves down my spine, I knew it was a treatment that lasted 6 months. So, I’d quickly do the math and realize I was spending $50/month (or approximately 2-3 cups of Starbucks a week) and it didn’t seem quite as bad. I’d just drink more coffee at home for a while!

In 2022, I determined I was done with this whole Keratin treatment stuff and the damage putting so many chemicals in my hair was doing (not to mention I wanted to drink more Starbucks), so I put out a plea on social media - “can anyone suggest what products I can use to make my hair not seem as frizzy?”

Before: March 2022

To my surprise, a friend stepped up and told me to google “The curly girl method.” What? What in the world is this? I don’t have curly hair. Why would I even care about a method for it? But, after doing a lot of research, I started down the road of learning more about my hair and how to treat it appropriately.

People always ask me how I got started so I’m going to share how I went from frizzy hair to wavy in about 9 months of hair care. I will spread these out over a couple of blog posts as the whole process can become overwhelming doing it all at the same time. 

After: Jan 2023

You’ll learn how I started, the mistakes I’ve made, the lessons I’ve learned and how the biggest lesson had nothing to do with my hair!

So, let’s get started! 

The first thing I did was to start using gel, which was curly girl approved and happened to be in my closet: Cantu twist and lock gel. Just using that gel and following some curly girl methods started to make a difference with my hair (pic below). But, I found out later, that was too heavy of a gel for my hair. Today, I use two different gels, depending on my needs for that day: Cantu Flexible Hold Styling Gel and DevaCurl Supreme Defining Gel. I’ll talk more about these in another post. 

Day 1: March 16, 2022

One of the first methods I read about when it came to the curly girl method was that of plopping. So, within 24 hours, I had started my education on the method, plopped my hair, used gel, and was starting to see changes happening. 

In the next few posts, there will be a lot of information about how I went about this process. But, as you’ll learn, not everyone’s process will be the same. There are some tried and true methods and some amazing advice out there. But, you might not have the knowledge you need about your hair to do all the right things. 

If you’re starting to make changes to your hair, whether to go wavy or curly, please subscribe to my blog and follow along. Next stop: learning if you’re a curly or a wavy!

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