I''ve built a platform based on being strong, practicing kindness, spreading love, and building confidence. But since this election i've been trying to figure out how I feel. 

I've been emotionally depleted for the past few days. I've been feeling angry, hurt, paranoid, and betrayed. I've been feeling like i'm surrounded by people who expect me to "get over it",or people who make jokes about it, or people who don't understand why i'm so emotionally invested in it and my anxiety has been through the roof.

As a multi-racial black woman in a relationship with a mexican, raising a multi-racial black daughter, I worry. I worry not only for myself, but for the mental and physical safety of my child, my partner, and our families. 

I've been worrying....but then I remember what I stand for; kindness, strength, love, confidence. I remember who I am, who is looking up to me, who i'm inspiring, and I force myself to push forward. Not only for me but for my family and for the young women that write me looking for guidance, I need them to always feel secure and that can't happen if i'm falling apart. 

So how do I, as a mother with 9 million other things on my plate, find time to put my self-care first? 

I set a routine. I know a lot of us moms think that we don't have time or when we do have the time, we could be getting other "more important" things done with that time. To that I say, making time for yourself IS the most important thing. 

I want to share with you all a quick rundown of my morning self-care routine.

1. WAKE UP EARLIER: I generally need to be up at 7:30 to get Jordyn up for school. I tend to wake myself up 30-45 minutes earlier than that so I can have some alone time. It's also really important to be aware of the sounds you have around you while waking up. Some people prefer silence, some prefer music. My alarms are set to a soft bird chirping so it sounds like i'm waking up to birds outside my window, which is calming for me. Experiment with what sounds you enjoy and dislike. 

2 HYDRATE: Our bodies just went 8 hours without water, we need to hydrate. ( nothing too cold, as it can shock your system just waking up) I generally keep water by my bedside and reach over for it first thing in the mornings.

3. INDULGE: Coffee is what I look forward to in the mornings, I like to buy the best ingredients for my coffee, drink out of cups that make me happy, and really enjoy and indulge in it. Whatever your morning indulgence is, whether its smoothies, juices, bagels, tea, go for it. Having something you look forward to in the mornings can work wonder for your moods. 

4. MORNING READS: I like to put myself in a good mood and remind myself of the things I have to be grateful for by reading daily affirmations. I'm currently reading daily inspirations from Your Best Life Begins Each Morning: Devotions To Start Every Day Of The Year By Joel Osteen. 

5. YOGA & MEDITATION: One of the biggest reasons I wake up earlier than Jordyn in the mornings is so that I have time to meditate before the hustle and bustle of the day. A quick stretch and some positive affirmations in the morning are serious mood boosters.

What you don't do in the mornings is just as important as what you do, so here are a few of the things I avoid before i've taken care of myself.

1.MY PHONE: There is no benefit to waking up and scrolling the gram, Facebook, or snapchat. If anything, it'll give you anxiety or FOMO ( fear of missing out) It's so easy to fall into the rabbit hole of social media only to look up and wonder where the time went. 

2.EMAILS: Looking at work emails outside of my designated "work email" time can cause anxiety for me and once my anxiety strikes, its there to stay all day, so I wait to read emails until after i've set my tone for the day. 

3. TV: Tv is a huge time consumer. One minute you're watching the news, next thing you know its been 4 hours and your watching Judge Mathis ask someone how much drugs he's on in his courtroom. Its something I try to avoid first thing in the morning. 

And thats my morning self-care routine. Its quick and simple and to the point. it leaves me refreshed, balanced and energized before I have to get the kiddo up for school.

Xo, Jeanice :)

First impressions: Eden Bodyworks Kids line.

I recently received the EdenBodyWorks Eden Kids line to try out and first things first, let me say this...I LOVE THE SMELL OF THESE PRODUCTS!

Like....LOVE!! All the products have a very soft, subtle strawberry cotton candy like scent thats absolutely delicious. 

If you aren't familiar with Eden BodyWorks they are a natural hair company that stands behind the statement that they "provide natural products that integrate wellness and beauty inspired by nature to restore and maintain the hair and bodys original design."

I've used the products a few times and i've got to say, I think they're kind of great. Definitely perfect for kids hair. 

The Berry Natural Detangling Shampoo is a very gentle cleanser but it gets the job done. A little bit goes a long way and I noticed that its also not very drying which is a huge plus! I don't typically detangle while shampoo is in Jordyns hair so I can't comment on the detangling properties but I can say her hair was a lot softer after shampooing than it normally is. 

The shampoo is free of sulfates and parabens and is cruelty free!!

The Berry Natural Leave-in Detangler didn't really do much, it softened her hair a little bit but outside of that, there wasn't much of a wow factor for me. I can't really say whether or not it helped with detangling because I typically detangle with conditioner in but I feel like this would be good to hep refresh dry hair on those restyling days. 

Again, the product is free of sulfates, parabens, and is cruelty free!

The Berry Natural Moisture Milk is my favorite product fro this line!

It's very lightweight but extremely moisturizing! I noticed that the amount of frizz in Jordyns hair was greatly reduced and her hair retained a lot more moisture. It's light enough to use as a daily moisturizer without fear of build up. 

I absolutely LOVE this hair milk. Its one of my favorites and I highly recommend it!

The Berry Natural Curly Creme is a STYLER not a moisturizer. So, if you're using this product thinking its going to add moisture, it won't. I use this on top of the Moisture milk and it is amazing. The perfect light weight styler. Its great at taming those annoying flyaway hairs and adds a ton of shine!! 

The Berry Natural Smoothing Gel is really great. It is A LOT thicker than what I normally expect from a gel and the consistency is almost jelly-custard like?...not runny like most gels. It gives a great hold without making the hair hard to the touch. 

It is really thick  and I wouldn't recommend using it daily but I could definitely see this giving a lasting hold all week if you re-spray it with the detangling spray. This would probably give great results on a twist out!!

Overall my first impressions with these products are really good. I'm going to continue to try them out and maybe try a twist out with the gel and let you all know how they work! 

Have you all tried any of these products? Let me know on IG how they worked for you!

Xo, Jeanice :)

* These products were provided by Eden BodyWorks however all opinions are my own. 

Natural kids protective styles: Faux Loc Crotchet Braids

Jordyn is a huge fan of her curls. She's not however, a huge fan of me doing her hair all the time and honestly, its hard balancing time for hair, school, home life, extra curricular activities, and work. Thats why this school year we've been LOVING protective styles. Particularly, crotchet braids because they are SO simple and SO fast! And I mean come on, look how cute they are!

I did these faux loss over 2 days. On day one I cleansed and moisturized Jordyns hair using the Eden Bodyworks Eden Kids Line ( I will be doing a more in depth review on these products when I get a chance to try them all!)

I used the Berry Natural Detangling shampoo and added moisture with the Berry Natural Moisture Milk + Berry Natural Leave-in Detangler ( both smell absolutely AMAZING!)

I detangled and pulled her hair into 2 low buns for school which allowed the hair to air-dry and stretch  a bit so that her curls weren't so tight while I was braiding. 

I used a straight back braiding pattern because i'm not the best braider. ugh...I wish. lol. 

I actually referenced this Youtube video for a braiding pattern and then tweaked it a bit for Jordyns longer hair and my minimal braiding skills)

 

On her scalp I used Just For Me Hair Milk Soothing Scalp Balm to keep her scalp moisturized and prevent it from getting to dry. 

The hair itself was purchased from The Beauty Supply Warehouse and is the Zury Kids Genie Loc hair. I paid 3.99 a pack and used 6 packs.

 I love this hair. Its super soft and lightweight. It also comes with adorable loc jewels.

I always make sure to let my hair soak in a apple cider vinegar/water bath to pull out any chemicals that may cause itching or irritation at the scalp....do this the night before so the hair is dry when its time to install it. 

The install, including braiding, took about an hour and fifteen minutes which is amazing!

 Her last crotchet braids lasted about 2 and a half weeks, these will probably hold up for the same amount of time. 

Jordyn and I both love her new faux locs, let me know if you decide to try any crotchet styles on your little ones!

Xo, Jeanice :)