It's a rainy day in the DMV and today, out of all days fall decided to show its full behind. Not the best way to start my birthday, but I pressed on none the less. I was determined to enjoy my day. And what better way than with a facial. Luckily enough, two days before I was able to find a local (and black owned) spa to fit me in. 
So here I am, leaving the house 30 minutes earlier to get to place 15 minutes away. Only to be left waiting, mind you I did most of my waiting at a nearby CVS buying hair products I don't need. When I walked in I expected to be greeted with open arms and a smile. Well at the very least a smile and a hearty hello. But what do I get....Nothing. Not because there was no one there. Time goes by and a small woman from the adjoined Dominican salon next store tells me she's busy. Que? How can she be busy? I have an appointment! I'm supposed to be the reason she's busy!! Eventually a sweet woman comes out to offer her apologies and to drop a bomb on me. She wont't be able to see me for the next minutes. The military mother in me was furious(she had already been irritated by the wait) but the laid-back father in me shrugged it off. And who was I kidding, I needed this facial. Even at the age of 27, I still had a face riddle with blemishes and blackheads. Hell, I deserved this facial! And most importantly, I had already paid for it when I booked it on the MindBody app. So come hell or high water, I was getting that facial.
After a full hour of waiting and cold cup of tea later, Melinda Woodhouse, owner and skincare specialist was ready to see me. I was here the receive the Detoxifying Facial with Ultra Violet High Frequency. Sounds super fancy, right? I had mostly forgotten what it all entailed by the time I walked in the spa but I was ready none the less. One thing i was not anticipating was the amount pain that goes into a facial. Often times I laid back and told myself "Beauty bears pain." Something I heard all the time growing up, but never really understood until now. During the process, Melinda dropped many gems for not only healthy skin but also a healthier body. She stressed the importance of healthy eating and schooled  me on which skin products would work best with my skin. Overall I was happy with my experience sans the waiting and will definitely be returning again. Next time I'll call head. lol

Peace,
Danielle

Happy New Year!!! (Although I'm late saying it to you curls!) I'm attempting to take my stab at a little self-improvement....

Fitness
I have begun going to the gym everyday after work... I'm attempting to run a mile a day (even though I hate cardio)... Do these things they call squats... Work my arms... and of course my abs! On days I feel completely lost at the gym, because I am new at it, I look for workouts on BodySpace, an app I found... it's kinda like Facebook for gym goers... I'm hoping to grow my confidence at the gym as well... I used to workout at home in privacy... So at the gym I am completely not comfortable... But it leads me to feel more accomplished when I'm done... Most days I'm totally exhausted by the time I'm done... but I have my mind set on becoming more toned and healthy...

Hair
So... I have a confession... this LOB (long bob) trend has been calling my name... And I think I'm going to give in... I've already trimmed an half an inch off my hair... Which will leave me with a LOB... I think... the only thing left to do is straighten my hair.... Which is going to be a new journey for me... I haven't placed a flat iron to my hair in so long... And now I'm considering to wear it straight most of the time... I plan to only straighten every two weeks and deep condition in between... As I make new discoveries and break throughs I will keep you guys updated...

Cooking

A new hobby! In 25+ years of life I've never bothered to learn. But to go along with a healthy lifestyle, I feel cooking is essential. I mostly bake and find recipes on Facebook. But I have an undying curiosity with the Crockpot and slow cooking... A friend told me that it is a good way to "cook" while at work. So as soon as I complete this blog I will be purchasing a Crockpot cookbook... I also will be posting some of my favorite recipes... I will be posting some with chicken due to the fact that my boyfriend eats it and I love to cook for him.
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I am still a pescatarian and an aspiring Vegan... I was going to try a 21 day vegan challenge at the 1st of the year but my plans have been derailed a bit...

Financial
I have taken a serious leap into saving... Starting with my subscription problem... I have canceled my subscriptions to JustFab, Scentbird, Netflix, and PlayStation Vue. I have vowed to only have one subscription at a time... to find out which one that is stay tuned! I have also only been spending on absolute needs. I'm hoping to put away as much money as possible so that I can afford a new MacBook as my current one has been called a vintage paper weight...

Life
I've also gotten a new puppy... her name is Nyla. She's a cane corso and she's pictured above in her favorite spot! I'm excited to have her!

​YouTube vids will unfortunately be on hold due to the death of my computer... sorry =[

What new beginnings have you started this year??? Let me know down below...
Also if you have any suggestions for products to use on low porosity straightened hair, or any recipes with or without meat, please let me know...

with love...
...steph

Just Fab

Okay they weaseled me into their subscription with a Facebook ad. The ad had a code allowing me to get a pair of shoes for just $14.95, that is if I subscribed. I figured, what's the big deal, I can skip the month if I want. So I indulged, I got a pair of strapy heels...

Upon arrival I was disappointed, the quality of the shoes were not that of a pair shoes valuing $39.95... and they didn't even fit me well!!! I still kept my cool, after all remember I only paid $14.95...

For months to come, I had been hitting the skip button... As I was not impressed with the "inspired by" fashions... One month, I forgot to skip and wanted a refund, so I called the customer service number and was lied to and told that a refund wasn't possible... I was pissed to say the least but at least I had a credit just in case I found something I liked right???

WRONG!!! Months later, I log onto Just Fab to skip the month... And as far as I was concerned, I was successful at doing so... or so I thought. A few days later I look at my bank account and WHERE THE HELL IS MY $39.95??? You can imagine my face!!! I get on the phone immediately to call their hotline.

Just Fab's hotline is shitty!!! You're answered by an "intelligent automative assistant" and you're told to tell it what you have called for. So I screamed into the phone, "YOU STOLE MY MONEY AND I WANT IT BACK!!!" The assistant tells me she can refund my money but only once... So you mean to tell me, the first time I called for a refund I could have got one??? Then, the assistant asks, "Is that all you called for???" And of course I go, " NO I WOULD LIKE TO CANCEL MY ACCOUNT!!!" So now I'm on hold for an operator. 30 minutes later I get one with an accent I can barely understand, which further pisses me off!!! I tell her I want to cancel my account. She begins to grill me on why and tries to convince me with free credits. But I don't play that with my money... I tell her to just cancel my membership... I was on the phone the entire hour long ride home! Smh!

I love Kimora but her company sucks!!! And there's no better way for me to put it!! A total let down to say the least!!! I wouldn't recommend anyone join!

...with love,
​steph

 It has been said that our sense of smell is one of the strongest sense we have. It can affect our other senses.  And this Sunday we're going to use it to alter our mood to create a more relaxing environment. 

This is hands down the easiest DIY in history of the world. The materials include, a spray bottle, water and lavender essential oil(the essential oil will depend on the mood). Combine the water and essential oil in spray bottle and TADA!!! You're done!!! For a calming air freshener, use essential oils such as sage, rosemary, eucalyptus or bergamot. To uplift i lIke to use orange, grapefruit, lemon, or lemongrass essential oil. The best part about this is you don't have to pick just one oil, you can mix and add oils as you please. 

You can use these air freshener whenever you need. I like to use an uplifting spray in the morning as soon as I get out of bed to help boost my energy. I use the calming spray at night as I begin to prepare for bed. 
                                                     Don't forget to share your diy air freshener. 

Peace,
Danielle

Have you ever felt like Whitley Gilbert? No, not the Whitley 'high and might, my ish don't stink' Gilbert. But Whitley that was confused with what she thought she wanted and what she had. Thats me, most days of the week. And with external factors, it makes it hard to focus on self. In this day and age people are constantly connected at all times, through phones, computers, and even watches. This can be a both a blessing and a curse. The current technology allows me to stay in touch with my sister in Japan on a weekly basis. But this technology also keeps me up at night, constantly scrolling through some app taking in everyone else's energy. We can get so weighed down by the world that we often times forget to focus on ourselves. 
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​To help solve her problem, Whitley visited a therapist that gave her words that Steph and I live by. Relax, Relate, Release. Beginning October 16th, Relax, Relate, Release will be a series of blog post that take focus away from the world and turns it inwards.No these won't give you all the answers  you've been looking for. But they will share easy ways to pamper yourself, unwind, and create a drama-free zone. 

Peace,
​Danielle

Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner— I got both the shampoo and conditioner at the same time and I'm trying my best not to use the conditioner all up. It has a ton of slip and smells amazing. I like to use it to pre-poo along with coconut oil.

Tangle Teaser— I've had my Tangle Teaser for almost 3 years and haven't really appreciated it until recently. I use this instead a Denman brush to help clump curls together and to distribute products like styling foam when using flexi rods and curlfomers. To put it short, I use it for everything.

Mmhmm, Girl— Hosted by Lola and Babs, this podcast is quickly becoming on of my favorite podcast. It's a weekly conversation (with my fav Cali cousins in my head) full of laughter, hot topics, life advice, funny memories and the gift that keeps on giving, cocktails.
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Lancome Rouge In Love Lipstick (Rouge Valentine)—For the past few months all I've been wearing is dark colors. But now I've found the perfect red for me. By using the photos on the website to gauge which color which look best with my complexion. It goes on really smooth, there's no need for any lip balm before applying it. I order mine online and I can't wait to wear it out.

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm— It's super cold in Maryland this winter, so this lip balm is definitely a need at all times. This particular one(Peppermint) is goes on clear unlike the Baby Lips. I carry this with me everywhere I go and I especially like to use it before I put on any lipstick.

Peace,
Danielle