The Big Chop: Teeny Weeny Afro

July 2, 2012 22 Comments

I was a little  nervous when I sat down in that chair. I was cutting my shoulder length hair off, and going natural. I didn’t tell anyone in my family, and only told one friend. I mean, I’ve talked about it, but everyone – white, black, whatever – told me to keep that relaxer in my hair and keep it moving. That I did NOT want to go natural and cut my hair off.

Well, my last relaxer was in April. So it’s been a good two months since I had one. I used to get them every 4 or 5 weeks. It’s been rough trying to style my hair without a relaxer – especially since I was never very good at styling it on my own with a relaxer.

I was tired of trying. It was itchy. It was dry. It was breaking.

So as I sent my girls off to Cleveland this morning, I was eagerly anticipating sitting down in the chair, and getting my hair cut off. It never even occurred to me that she would use clippers to cut my hair. Or that it wasn’t going to be that big of a deal – the action of getting my hair cut off. I glanced at the hair on the floor of the salon, and while I was a bit awed, I wasn’t in shock. The best part is that, since I wear glasses, and I took them off to get my hair cut, I could barely see what I looked when I glanced in the mirror as she took me over to the shampoo bowl. She gave me a good conditioning. Then she arched my eyebrows.

photo(23)Heather, at Cost Cutters, had just done the BIG CHOP herself, a few months ago. So I felt I was in good hands. She used the #8 clippers to bring it down to 1 1/2 inches, then went a little bit lower to get the remaining relaxed hair out. She suggested that I color my hair to cover up the massive grays. I’m not sure if I’ll go that route since the whole point was to be natural, but we’ll see.

I drove over to Sally Beauty Supply to get a co-washing and styling product. They’re supposed to be natural, but I can’t exactly tell that by looking at the ingredients.

Sigh. It’s over and done. I’m pleased. I know the change is dramatic. But I’m pleased with my teeny weeny afro (TWA).

I just ordered some sample shampoo bars from Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve, right near my hometown. I can’t wait to get started playing with my hair!

update: Yikes! I just realized I should probably change the header graphic!

Filed Under: natural mom natural kids Tagged With: , , ,

How to Compromise when Buying Organic and Local on the Road

June 1, 2012 8 Comments

I’ve already posted how it’s important to me to support local businesses and farms here in Columbia, SC. But when I go on the road, it will be a bit more challenging since I won’t be able to just drive downtown to the local farmers market twice a week to stock up – all year round. Combine that with a smaller storage space for foods, and I’ll have to work harder to feed my family the same quality of food that we’re used to.

Well, we can make some compromises.

Eat local. Although we currently already do this, the first compromise is to eat what’s in season. When you eat what’s in season for the area you’re visiting, you’ll have an easier time finding what you’re looking for. If the first farm or fruit and vegetable stand you visit doesn’t have organic fruits and vegetables, there should be another one just down the road. And if you decide to patronize the local farmer that doesn’t follow natural practices, at least you’ll be eating food that didn’t travel far in going from farm to table. Either way, you’ll be able to talk directly to, and support, the actual people growing the foods you’re eating.

Carry a good quality cooler. Although I don’t relish the idea of buying ice all the time, I’m willing to buy some to expand my freezer space. Just make sure you start eating from the cooler as soon as you arrive in order to maintain the quality of the foods stored inside. You don’t want to travel with a sick family.

Compromise. Although I’d prefer that everything we eat is organic and natural, there are some things I will compromise on. The “dirty dozen” is a list of the foods  which you should always buy organically – since the pesticides and chemicals used permeate the skin and end up inside your body. But foods outside of that list are okay to buy without an organic label. Just remember to wash them well before eating them.

  • Apples
  • Celery
  • Strawberries
  • Peaches
  • Spinach
  • Imported nectarines
  • Imported grapes
  • Sweet bell peppers
  • Potatoes
  • Blueberries
  • Lettuce
  • Kale/collard greens

Look at the sales. Eating naturally doesn’t always have to be expensive. Sometimes the organic food price is only slightly higher than the “regular” food price at the store. Or, sometimes it’s LESS expensive when it’s on sale!

Cook. When you’re the one preparing the foods, you’re the one who controls what goes in the recipes. This allows you to feed your family healthy foods, relatively inexpensively. Prepared and prepacked foods are already more expensive, especially when they’re organic. You can cost down on costs by taking the time to buy the ingredients and preparing the foods yourself. Cooking from scratch takes a little bit longer before the meal is on the table, but it’s worth the extra effort.

While you may spend more time searching for local and organic foods, it will be well worth it in the end. You can use this time to teach your children about negotiating prices, looking at maps, the concept of money, buying local, and just having family time.

What do you do to eat healthy when traveling?

Filed Under: around the kitchen table Tagged With: , , ,

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