Skin Stuff

Just because my friend Terry asked, for skin we've used several different things. The one I consistently buy is Tree Hut body butter which is available at Walmart. They have a fairly high shea butter content, keep his skin moisturized, cost about $4 a tub, and I don't have to order them from somewhere. They also don't feel greasy like some other products. They also have flavors which are not overally girly. We're using coconut lime right now.

We have not had much problem at all with dry skin. I know some people have struggled with using cheaper products but maybe that's due to their child's skin type or environmental conditions. We do live in a state with very dry winters.

I have used olive oil/African's Best Oil but I would rather use a lotion. The oils spill easily and can splash and drip. Olive oil is good in a pinch. (Or if you're just too lazy to go upstairs to get the regular lotion.)

Locs Week, 4 or 5 or 6

I can't tell you what week we're on in the locking process. And I'm too lazy to go back and look at my first post so I'd know for sure. I think we're starting week 5. Anyway, his hair is starting to loc. Not all the twists but there are some that would definitely take some major combing/detangling/fighting with to get out. It also seems like I am spending less time on it. Today I did a pretty major redo and it only took 20 minutes. The last week or so, I've been able to spend about 5-10 minutes each day adding a moisturizer and retwisting, but I've only had to retwist just a few rather than a lot.

Just a recap in case anyone is interested in product info. I started the twists using Jamaican Mango and Lime Resistent Locking Gel. I'd used Let's Jam gel before but I like Mango and Lime better. I used it for any major retwisting. To retwist, I would spray with Taliah Wajid Bodifying Mist (either full strength or dilluted with water) and then twist. To keep the locs moisturized, we moisturize each morning and night. I have been using two things: Treasured Locks Herbal Hair Balm and Curls by Sisters Smith Butter Me Up. Lately, I've just been using the Butter Me Up. We rarely shampoo with shampoo, just use conditioner as a shampoo. I've been using Neutrogena's Deep Recovery Hair Mask, mostly because that's what I had when Kenson came home and it's worked so I haven't changed. (I actually had a special conditioner for African hair too but I liked the Neutrogena better.)

The other interesting thing is now that his hair is in twists all the time, Kenson's hair is often the center of attention. And he doesn't always like it. People often come up and touch it. (It's always been people that we know but not necessarily people who Kenson knows.) He has started saying very bluntly "Don't touch my hair!" We're working on getting the word "please" in there so it doesn't sound quite so out of sorts. Most of it is due to curiousity. People want to know if I did it, how long it took, how I got him to sit still, and what it feels like to touch it. They are intrigued because there aren't a lot of black people with locs/twists around here. (I know one other person and I'll use the word 'know' loosely because I don't even know his name. He's an assistant coach for an area soccer team.) I'm just thankful we haven't had a stranger want to touch it. I can't imagine going up to a complete stranger and asking to touch their hair. But I know there are people who do such things because other people have told me about it.

Anyway, here's a new photo.

A few more Conleigh photos

I have lucked out this month. After getting just a few photos since January, I now have a whole bunch of recent photos. Just what I needed because I had gotten to the point of researching ticket prices to Haiti. I don't know when all of these were taken but sometime within the last few months. Still no news or advice from anyone on what to do with her file that is being held. We're officially at one year in the same office with no progress. What a lousy thing to have to write.

Menu Planning Monday

Wonton Soup
Fruit Salad

Pork Roast with a Twist of Orange
Mashed potatoes
Green beans

Ham and Cheese Pasta
Mixed vegetables

Taco Pan Pizza (Divide into two pans before baking; freeze one for later.)
Fruit Salsa with cinnamon chips

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza (Sauce of ketchup, mustard, and spaghetti sauce. Sauce + crumbled cooked bacon+ browned hamburger + onion + chopped dill pickles, all on pizza crust and topped with cheese)
Carrots and celery

Pancakes, bacon, fresh fruit

We love squirrels!

Walking to the post office today, Kenson and I kept walking past squirrels. He was so excited about it for some reason. (Nevermind that our front yard is squirrel central.) Anyway, he yelled to one of of them, "C'm here!" So I asked him what he would do with the squirrel if he got it. With an ubber serious look on his face, he told me "Pet it's tail." Like "duh mom, what else would I do."

New Conleigh photo

2 sets of photos in one week, that's a amazing. They just celebrated birthdays at HCH. In this photo, Conleigh is sitting next to the birthday girl, Esther. She's sucking her thumb which is one of her trademarks.

Introducing...Seedlings

I've been busy working on some satin lined fleece caps to sell on Etsy. My goal has been to create some simple caps with cute artsy themes that also are great for your hair because they are lined with silky material rather than fleece/cotton. When you have a silky lining, it reduces friction and helps keep the hair tangle free and frizzy free. For those who are styling African American hair, any type of rubbing can create frizzies and can make styles look not so fresh. So these are my solutions. I can't vouch with scientific data on the effectiveness but they are super cute which should count for something!

I just listed these in my Etsy store. They are baby sized, not big kid sized, and pretty girly. But I have some big kid ones cut out with some boyish styles amongst those. Once I get them finished, I'll add them to my Etsy page.