Cherish My Daughter

Hey Mocha Family, Does experience count for anything?  I really expected this second time around of watching my hair lock to be easy.  What fears could there be?  What lies could I possibly be made to believe? My reality is that I find myself experiencing some of the same things from the first time! What will my locks look like...? Will this or that aspect of my locks ever go away..? My hair will lock, won't it? I'll thank my first experience with the lock process for not falling prey to all of the gimmicks and concoctions promising to get me there faster. I know that my locks will look great. My hair will lock. The secret is time. Be blessed!

Hey Mocha Family, I am more than a week into weaning myself off of the proactive.  Initially I thought of going cold turkey like the aesthetician recommended, but after careful consideration, I realized that a lot of her advice could be sales pitch.  She had a line ready to sell me.  I did some research online which suggests that a slow process may radically reduce my breakouts. My plan will be drop to once a day for a month, followed by every other day for a month etc.  After every two days I think I may be able to go cold turkey.  I will just have to see how my face reacts. So far, so good. I am down to using proactive once a day and trying out some popular natural products I ordered online and purchased from a local health store.  I have noticed one zit on my cheek, but wonder if it is from my new regimen or hormonal shifts that come with my period. I will definitely keep ya'll posted! Be blessed!

Hey Mocha Family, I behaved like a true newbie this month by stopping my wraps and being bareheaded around the house.  I watched my hair like a hawk and as a result felt a little impatient with the process.  Find out what changing I plan to make for next month to get back on track by checking out the video above. Be blessed!

Hey Mocha Family, It's not homeschooling if we are trying to bring a public or private school situation into our homes.  I struggled for years thinking I had to recreate what I experienced as a child in public school (without the bad stuff) to educate my kids well.  The truth is that such a goal is impossible for one person to achieve.  Schools are filled with an army of workers, and specialized equipment to get the job done.  How can one person play the role of all those people?  Anyway, the beauty of homeschooling is the flexibility to create an ideal situation specific to your family and child. Every now and then I still have to zap the feeling that someone is watching and waiting to report me for not doing things a certain way, but it has become much easier to beat to the drum of our own vision for the family.  Check out the above video for ways I try to homeschool outside the box. Be blessed!

Hey Mocha Family, I shy away from products with a long list of ingredients I can't pronounce.  Isn't this what we've always heard from the natural hair community?  I'm sure this advice has merit, but does it follow that just because we don't understand the ingredients the product will be bad for our hair? I'm glad I took a chance with this Africa's Best Hair Mayonnaise.  It's super cheap but has worked wonders for Mocha Girl 2's hair.  I share our experience in the video above.  Check it out and let me know in the comments what products have surprised you? Be blessed!    

Hey Mocha Family, I don't like to call the mistakes I make in homeschooling failure. The growth experienced from these mistakes testify of their value. However, struggles don't feel good and we are still looking for those good grades and happy looks on our kids faces day to day as proof of success. I usually regroup by reflecting on the semester with my husband or by consulting friends. I watch the kids like a hawk and make my own assumptions, but I've never drawn them into a conversation to hear their perspective until now. I learned so much. Check out the video to see how it went and leave me a comment down below about how you assess your performance. Be blessed!

Hey Mocha Family, I finally tried rose water. What great results! Check it out! Here is the one I bought. Be blessed!

Hey Mocha Family, I can't believe I am packing twenty extra pounds! I guess weight management comes to everyone sooner or later. Can I smirk at the younger me who didn't own a scale and could eat whatever she wanted? Here is what I am doing to kick off my weight loss journey. I don't expect to lose twenty pounds in twenty one days. Instead I hope to break some really bad habits and restart my body for the New Year. With more than a decade of experience fasting like this, I know this works well for me. Be blessed!

Hey Mocha Family, I really enjoy getting my hands in my son O&O's locks. I can't believe how quickly they are forming. Four months in and his hair already looks and behaves like much older locks. You can imagine my horror to one day find white sticky build up in his locks! Product build up can develop easily in locks. We typically avoid creamy products, but even clear shampoo can build up over time when not properly rinsed away. Sometimes, even under the best of circumstances residue can build up in locks. I've learned that clarifying is an important part of the maintaining healthy locks. We work hard towards prevention by limiting our product usage, diluting with water and minimizing. When I apply shampoo to my locks I usually follow up with an apple cider vinegar rinse, which works as a clarifier. I also do super rinses where I allow water to run through my locks for long periods of time. Five minutes can seem quick, but when timed I realized how long