Category: countdowns

Back//

Published on by maksu2013Leave a comment

Its been a while and I’ve missed blogging so much!! I feel like I say this after every mini hiatus but its still true 🙂

So I’m sure you’re wondering where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing with my time so I thought I should give you a brief summary and possibly a couple teasers of posts to come

  1. I was taking a class – no this isn’t one of the teasers but you know personal development and what not – in Project management. As fun as it was to kind of get back into the school vibe, I also remembered all of the things about school that stressed me out eg. late nights and group work so yea that took a chunk of my time.
  2. I made overalls…and they weren’t for me!! Yes yes, your girl is really pushing boundaries and challenging herself. Now this is one of the things I hope you will see very soon so I wouldn’t say too much about it but that has been very exciting.
  3. I’m currently learning to drive. Hoping I can get my license by February next year actually but driving has been kinda chill so far. I haven’t run over anyone or crashed into anything so I think it’s safe to say I’m doing alright. :p
  4. I might have made a wedding dress! No biggie, maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. Oh and if you were wondering, it wasn’t for me. I may have more details for you in the near future…mayyyyyyybe.
  5. Really just been working on myself. The adulting game had me feeling all kinds of overwhelmed this year but I’m trying to take things as they come and trying to make good decisions.

Yea in the most succinct way, this is what I have been up to since my last post. I’m so ready to get started with blogging again and putting out so much more ❤

To fresh starts

 

est.1994 | Birthday thoughts

Published on by maksu2013Leave a comment

Heyyyy!!

It was my birthday this month 😀 whoop ti doop! Couldn’t upload this post as early as I would have liked due to some technical issues but we move still. It truly was a happy birthday despite the rain. So grateful for my friends and family who showed up and sent lots of love my way :).

So typically I like to reflect on my past year and project for my year ahead but I think I need to give you the full gist of the day. Before I begin, lets just say I am convinced my upper back looks like Wonderwoman’s right now but hey that may just be in my head.

I decided to go indoor rock-climbing for my birthday, an activity I would recommend to anyone who may be interested. A couple things to note though are that I’m afraid of heights and well rock climbing involves going up above the ground supported by your harness, your b-layer, a few measly protrusions on the wall and God Himself.

We had a lovely instructor who took us through how to be safe and from that point on it was just climbing and living the dream.

21 was an interesting year for me. I definitely felt myself growing quite a bit and I’ve learned some important things along the way.

Being fearless is great but facing your fears is so much better

This year I have found that the more times I challenged myself to do something that I didn’t feel altogether comfortable doing, the more I saw myself improving. A major example is sewing for other people. [I have more to say on this] Sewing for others is actually terrifying to me. I just always feel like I wouldn’t get it right and I know for a fact that my skills are still rather basic so when people trust me to make things for them I have an overwhelming desire to say No! This year however, I tried it a few times. I wasn’t successful every time and I still have some projects sitting and waiting for me to revisit them but I have also learned so much more not just about sewing but about myself and how I ought to be handling failure. Failing isn’t the problem, it’s what you do when you fail that really matters

Look beyond yourself every now and again and see how you can be the joy in someone else’s life

This year I realized to a whole new degree that there is an entire world happening outside of myself. People are happy, people are hurting and everything in between. I’m still working on this one but sometimes you just need to be present and truly present for someone else even when they aren’t giving much in return. It could be a “just because” gift or sitting with someone and quietly listening to what they feel, whatever it is just find a way to make someone’s day a little better.

Starting is slow and rocky but you’ll never get anywhere if you give up there.

I am nearing my first full year of being in the working world and my business is also in its first few months. All in all this year has been a lot of firsts for me and there have been several moments of questioning what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. I’ve doubted myself and my abilities a whole lot and just been generally confused about many things but its only recently hit me that this is just the start and as with all things, it will become clearer as I move forward

Trusting God is often easier said than done.

This one caught me off guard a bit. Being Christian, I’ve heard “just trust God” a thousand and one times so much so that I just agree on autopilot however when it comes to time to really let go and let God, I find myself holding back on the silliest things. To truly trust [in my opinion] is to understand that His plans are for good and when He asks me to let go of something its not to leave me empty but to make room for something better. The letting go isn’t always easy but like I said, I’m learning.

Drink your water, Mind ya business!

Finally, at 21 I learned that I need to take care of my body and take care of my mind. This means being a bit more conscious of what I consume and how my behavior impacts the world that I live in. Now as wholesome as this sounds, note that this is still a work in progress. Battling the 5pm chocolate cravings and the indulgence in some really juicy gossip but still we move 🙂

So excited for 22 and I am seriously hoping to sustain this positivity all year long

5 Things I learned after Uni

Published on by maksu20132 Comments

Straight outta UofT

Hi Guys!

I have wanted to do this post for a while but I wanted to wait for any extra surprises life may throw my way. Anyhow I feel like I have gathered sufficient data to help the upcoming alumni. (Congrats btw 😀 you’re super close to the end!)

  1. Free Food is not a thing!
Free Food
Newp, absolutely no one has said this 😦

I know!!!! Dry your eyes dear friend but yes it’s true! There are no real life equivalents of student groups trying to lure you with free food, No meal plans (even though you technically paid for that), There are no student unions offering pancakes and movies. Simply put, if you want food you have to pay or at the very least settle for the teeny tiny samples. If you have lived on campus for the entire duration of your studies, this would probably hit you as hard as it hit me. Brace yourselves, you’re about to spend a small *cough* huge *cough* fortune feeding yourself.

2. You can’t just walk everywhere

Well of course if everything plays out exactly how you want it, this may not apply, however it is far more likely that you would have to cough up more cash on transportation than ever before. Again this is particularly true for people who never lived off campus, the rest of you may be very well versed in paying for metropasses however I almost cried as that $141.50 left my account for the first time. After my first few weeks of living off campus, this is how my life looked:

Friend: Hey! we should grab lunch

Me: Sure thing!

Metropass: Well transportation wouldn’t be an issue

Bank Account: Lol! Girl bye!

 

look aint happening
Not Happening Today Hunny

3. Jobs are not tailored for you and your minimal experience

Oh job hunting was spit-on-your-neck-fantastic! Fresh out of school and somehow when you were focusing on your studies, being involved in extra-curriculars, maintaining a social life and sleeping, you were also supposed to gaining at least 3 years worth of relevant experience. 🙂 Isn’t that just grand? Or the people that would have the guts to suggest unpaid work!!! Excuse me, I’m about $2.00 away from starving to death and you want me to arrive at your location 5 days a week for nothing? Please stop.

job experience

4. You can’t just “chill”

Yes, you just completed one of the most exhausting school years of your life. Yes, right now you just want to take naps an sip mojitos. Yes, it would be nice if you could just get a weekly stipend to fund your turn ups and vacations. But no! Everybody and their unborn child will ask you what you’re doing next. How about we all just agree that I’m being fabulous and that’s all there is to it. Sadly fabulous won’t pay your bills (unless of course you’re Kimora Lee).

Can't adult today
Not today please

5. Stay Connected

After you’ve said your goodbyes and returned your gown and hood, it would become glaring obvious that the thing that tethered you to many of the people in your life right now, has ended. (Yay for alliteration). It would be extremely easy to disconnect and start your life all over again but I can say from experience that I’m thankful for all of the friends I have kept in touch with since graduation. You all make my life feel full and fuzzy ❤

Style goals

Published on by maksu20134 Comments

Hey guys,

As the new year is waiting in the wings and everyone is making plans and setting goals for 2016, I thought it fit to set my style goals. 2015  was the year of the bae and there are certainly style elements from 2015 that made the bae-list. 2016 will be the year to commit-or-commot [commit or get out] so I suppose I’ll see how many of these elements stand the test of time.

2015 was a good style year for me I feel (check back again in 5 years and I may feel very different) but I feel I found my beat style wise. Here are a few of my favorite looks and trends from 2015

  1. This Whole look
    I was a huge fan of the eyeliner dots trend in 2015. I felt it appealed to my baby doll side :). I had a few variations of the dots under my eyes; three dots, one dot, dots on only one side, whatever I was feeling really. I was inspired by Itsmyrayeraye and Lianne la Havas.
    Then of course there were the boyfriend shirts–always plaid or striped, perfectly oversized–these were just plain comfortable and lack that overt sexiness [WINNING!].
    Finally the high bun. This was such a staple seeing as all of my hair could finally make it all the way up my head :P. As much as I liked the black lipstick look, I didn’t rock it nearly enough to say that it was an element of my style this year.

 

Fro tales

2. Turtlenecks and sneakers

Seeing as winter hung around for a long time in Canada, I found a very faithful friend in my turtlenecks. No scarf necessary and will give any outfit an extra boost. I also wore my converses an whole lot more and seeing as slip-ons are back I brought those into my life again. Currently stalking a pair of New Balance’s right now but we’ll see if its more than just a crush :P.

turtleneck outfit ideas

3. Femininity

While my first two points may weaken the case I’m trying to make here, I know for a fact that my style had a real feminine lick this year. I was determined to put out more grown woman vibes so I definitely made an effort. This was the dress I designed for my graduation; décolleté, silk, earrings and all. (For those who know me, earrings are a big step). Not that I’ve ever really been a tomboy but 2015 saw me in a lot more cocktail dresses and demure accents than ever before.

Cocktail dress

4. Blue

Well pastels in general but blue especially was kind to me in 2015. I still don’t think I have a favourite colour because at some point purple was bae but blue definitely had my heart this year.

african girl

Looking forward to 2016 knowing that God has great plans for me. Wishing everyone the very best in all that you set out to do this coming year and I trust that you will slay as you do it 😉

 

Never forget

Published on by maksu20132 Comments

Encouragement for job-seekers

Hey guys!

never forget grey's anatomy

So lately I’ve been looking for a job. I found this picture super funny because this is literally how I feel every time I apply for a job and plus I’m re-watching Grey’s Anatomy so it just seemed even funnier. The reality of things though is that there are days I get frustrated and I’m sure anybody who is job hunting or has done so before knows what I mean. For one, the idea that my resume is supposed to be an accurate representation of my skills and abilities still doesn’t make any sense to me. There may be so many things that make me perfect for a particular position or work environment but how do you communicate that in your one page resume?

Then of course there are the thousands of articles and people telling you how to get a job and even though you keep trying those things it just doesn’t seem to work as easily as they make you think it would. You know it wouldn’t be all sunshine and rainbows but sometimes you just want to not have to deal with all of it for a bit. Oh and lest I forget the anxiety you feel when somebody views your linkedin profile…ANONYMOUSLY!!!! What’s that even about? Is this someone I’ve applied to or is this someone creeping on my profile?

From time to time you would have little glimmers of hope that would encourage you to keep applying but the rejection might get a little overwhelming on other days. On those days when you’re feeling low, remember these things.

1) You earned your degree. More than the finances that went in, you put time, sleepless nights, tears and anxiety into that degree and nobody can take that away from you

2) When people try to offer you peanuts as your salary remember how much you invested into your education. This is time for you to get a return on said investment so anything less than the fees you paid is the economy’s attempt at short-changing you.

3) The company put up an ad! They need you more than you need them if you ask me. Especially somebody as talented and as brilliant as you! So don’t let anybody make you feel like they own you; because you were minding your business when they cried out to the world for help. You were kind enough to let them know how amazing you are so don’t let them take that for granted.

4) Your future is so bright! Its okay for these people to sleep on you right now because someday you’ll be so successful that they would wish they were part of your story.

For all my fellow job-seekers outchea keep your head up 🙂 all things work together for the good of them that love Him

ps. for all my Canadians, Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Live!

Published on by maksu20136 Comments

my fourth year in review

This entire school year I had one goal; to live. To truly take advantage of all the experiences that I could and just get out there. This was kind of a fall out from my whole “turning 20” crisis where I just had no clue what I had achieved in 2 decades of living. Anyhow with this new quest for life outside my comfort zone I packed on a lot of activities that made my fourth year awesometastic. Here are my top 10 favorite memories.

10. Taking a course that had nothing to do with my major

I took a couple of these actually; Graphic novel, Anthropology of Youth Culture and for a little while I took Computational thinking (aka programming for the arts student). I truly valued this experience because it gave me a chance to breathe from all of the social justice thinking for a little while and gain fresh perspective.

9. Travel

Okay I didn’t do a whole lot of travelling but I did go to San Francisco and it was absolutely beeyoutiful! Wasn’t nearly as warm as I had hoped it would be but that was a great trip with a truly awesome tour guide (Shout out to Afrolems!).

San Fran_Begin

8. Network

This year, I feel like I put myself out there a bit more than I normally would. I went to networking events, signed myself up for responsibilities (may have overdone it on this one) and really tried to engage people out of my immediate circle. The pay-off? Amazing friends that I may never have made if I didn’t try and being inspired to do a little bit more.

7. Work

Praise Jesus I had a job in my fourth year. I was the mentorship assistant to the student life coordinator working in the Dean of Students office. Can you tell I love saying that? I don’t think I could have had a job that was better suited to me in my last year. They were always so understanding and eager to offer me opportunities that I may not have known about on my own. I already miss everyone there and I’m so grateful to have met them.

6. Singing in front of people

So in keeping with my whole pushing out of my comfort zone, I volunteered to sing a solo part in my choir (UTGC whoop whoop!!). Singing in front of people makes me pretty nervous so for the most part I just sing around my family and a few of my friends. I was definitely taking a bit of a leap with a solo. I had planned to sing it an octave higher than I did but when my mouth opened and my voice wouldn’t do what my brain told it to I just went with it and it all worked out! Or well so I think :p

UTGC_Begin

5. Getting featured in a school newspaper!!

Now this one had me all kinds of excited. I was asked to comment as President of the Nigerian Students Association on a Nigerian issue. That was one of the few moments where I felt responsible for my team and communicating a strong positive message to whoever read the article.

http://ryersonjournalism.ca/2015/01/28/what-makes-one-horrific-event-more-newsworthy-than-another/

4. Cooking for a crowd

Now as the daughter of 1qfoodplatter you would think that cooking for people is something I do on the regular and while I would like to agree with you, that is a LIE! I lived on residence for all four years of uni and I had a meal plan so the need to cook was very minimal. Anyhow when your student group is trying to maintain its finances, you’ll do things you weren’t sure you could. That is the very basic story of how I cooked for 30 people 0_0.

3. Getting an Award

I don’t think of myself as an overachieving student by any means. I think I was rather modest in my overall involvement and well if I didn’t feel like doing a reading I just didn’t do it (sorry Mama&Daddy). That being said, I was very pleasantly surprised to be awarded the UC Merit Award “for my contributions to student life”. Getting an award in my graduating year was a goal I set for myself so this was a real kicker

Enang Ukoh_UC Merit Award Recepient - Copy

2. Terracotta!!!

Oh of all the things I did this year, Terracotta was right up there on my scale of challenging! Just to clarify, Terracotta is the culture show presented by NSA UofT.  This year I directed the show. The tears, the hours, the stress but also the people in this show made this an unforgettable experience. I also made costumes for the show which was pretty fun!

Enang Ukoh Terracotta_Begin

1. Presidency

So many of the things I did this year and the people I met were a consequence of my presidency. I learned a lot about myself and I feel like I was better for this experience. Sometimes it felt like I took on way more than I could handle but time after time I received strength to do a little bit more. I wasn’t a perfect leader by any stretch and I’m still learning from some of the mistakes that I made. Through it all I’m very grateful to God for getting me through.

Enang Ukoh_Begin

In four years I made a lot of memories and I grew and changed every single year. Thank you UofT for my most challenging four years yet. I wouldn’t trade this for anything.

The Sunflower Blogger Award

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Sunflower award- Inner workings of a color lover

Errmagashh I got nominated for the sunflower blogger award guys!!!!!!! Thank you Detuke for thinking of me :D. The rules are fairly simple;

Share 11 facts about yourself

Answer the questions set by the blogger who nominated you

nominate 11 bloggers

set 7 questions for the nominated bloggers

I’ve recently moved and started school so it’s taken me a little while to get this post up but regular posting should resume shortly 🙂 and since I haven’t posted in a while expect something on Wednesday too!!! Amazing eh? Okay lets get into it. Brace yourselves, its about to be a long one.

11 Facts about me;

1. I’m the last child in my family

2. This “facts about me” portion is making me uncomfortable cause I feel like I don’t “know” me all of a sudden

3. I’m Nigerian, from Akwa Ibom to be specific and no this doesn’t mean I’m ibo. (Its funny how often I actually have to explain this).

4. I’m in my fourth year in University

5. I looooove arguing about social issues. It literally gives me a rush

6. I also love me some candyyy

7. I’m an introvert but I have my extroverted moments

8. I’m an arts and crafts lover. If I can make it, paint it, weave it, glue it or draw it I’m good. (This is also where my whole color lover thing comes in)

9. I love to read

10. I consider myself to be a pretty cheerful person

11. I love plays and I’ve written a couple myself 🙂

Questions Set for Me;

If you could represent any brand, which one would you choose and why?

Okay this is a tough one. I feel that all brands have their weaknesses but if I absolutely had to choose, I would say either Kelloggs or Toms. Kelloggs because its a nostalgic brand for me and if all the things on the back of the cereal boxes are true, they have a real commitment to effecting social and environmental change. I would say Toms because its a social enterprise. Basically a true commitment of a company to improving the lives of other people matters most to me.

What is one interesting thing you’ve learned from reading my blog?

I find the style posts amazing. and I’ve found out about a few fashion-oriented businesses through you so that’s awesome sauce!

Do you have a phobia?

YESSSSS!! HEIGHTS AND WATER!!! Both make me feel like I’m about to die. I may or may not have embarrassing stories regarding crying on a wonderland ride…maybe I do, maybe I don’t.

If you were offered an all-expenses paid trip to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

I would go to Italy. My only reason is that one of my favorite professors is Italian and he makes such a huge fuss about how amazing and beautiful Italy is so I would love to go just for the experience (on somebody else’s dime though)

What is something you’ve achieved that you’re most proud of?

Teaching myself to sew is something that I’m pretty proud of. Also, writing and directing my own plays would have to be way up there on my proud scale.

What is your dream job/career

I would like to work in an international organization and create policies that positively impact the lives of women and children in the global south.

Favorite post on Tuke’s Quest

I really liked your natural hair journey post. Firstly because I love reading natural hair stories and I also thought it was very story-like or to be a teeny bit bougie “it had great narrative flow”.

7 Questions I Set

1. What country are you in?

2. What inspired you to start blogging?

3. How would you describe your style?

4. What’s is your earliest memory?

5. What would you change about the world if you could?

6. What are your top three blogs?

7. What is your favorite post on my blog?

 

Yayyy Nomination time!

1. Afrolems

2. The Simple Sophisticate

3. 1Qfoodplatter

4. Vanille noire

5. How do you solve a problem like…

6. Black is my logo

7. Okay I don’t know who else to tag 😦

See you on Wednesday!!

Bloggerversary!!

Published on by maksu20135 Comments

Third time's the charm: Begin

So a year ago today I finally picked up enough pluck to publish my first post (btw alliteration game on point or nah?). Blogging this year has been a truly amazing experience so I thought I’d look back at a few of my favorite posts and talk a bit more about them :). Alrighty then, lets get started…

5. Skirting about with the magic of patterns

This makes it to my top 5 cause I truly love that fabric and I have gotten considerable use out of that skirt. I remember how giddy I was about making my own patterns. I haven’t really made many patterns since then but it’s still something that I would love to do.  I’m also thinking about making another pencil skirt, hopefully a year’s worth of practice would produce an even better skirt 😀

4. Old land New Vibes

This is a fairly recent post but I thoroughly enjoyed writing it! I had been reading naijahusband‘s blog right before I wrote it which is probably why it felt so conversational for me. I felt like that post truly captured how I feel about Nigeria most times; a little upset at the way things are done but truly in love with the country all the same.

3. Third time’s the charm

The victory I felt when I wrote this post is hard to describe. After many (well two is a lot) failed and miserable attempts at making this, I felt nothing but overwhelming pride that I had succeeded. I suppose what makes a great post for me is the depth of emotion I feel when I’m writing it, because for all the posts in this list, I love them because I love the way they made me feel.

2. How does one tame a ‘fro

This was another post that I absolutely enjoyed writing. My hair has been a really big part of my life in the last two and a half years and it has taught me many things. Loving myself has been one major thing but my hair has also taught me some practical things. For example; learning when to quit because not everything is for you, sometimes its better to just let go of one thing and find what really works for you.

and finally….*cue drum roll*

1. Think Responsibly

I remember sending this post to my sister because I was worried I sounded too angry. I’m so glad I posted it though, it is everything I have felt about the education system for a while and I am grateful for a platform like this that allows me say exactly how I feel without the pressure to sound too formal or intellectual.

I would like to thank everybody who has encouraged me to keep writing, sewing and thinking. Thank you for all the likes, shares and comments. I truly appreciate every single one…Here’s to another year of colorful blogging! 🙂

Old land, New Vibes

Published on by maksu20132 Comments

My summer in Nigeria so far

 

Begin- Old Land New Vibes

Hey y’all!! So I’ve been in Nigeria for a couple of weeks now and I’m very content so far 🙂

My first week was plagued with jet lag of life but I wasn’t too bothered about that. My days have generally been easy, sleep, go to driving school, visit a friend or run an errand or two, nothing too exhausting and it feels great! All those all-nighters of last year have melted off and I feel well-rested and happy. This happens every time I come back…an air of absolute chill that I never noticed before overcomes me. Well a good 60% of that chill is cause I’m being fed round the clock. Speaking of food, can we just take a second to appreciate the absolute delight that is my mum’s food? Living with a food blogger is -pass out with glee after every meal- amazing.

With every amazing point however,  there are a few things that still shock/annoy/confuse me.

1) Peeing men.  This is something that I shocks me every single time! I always wonder if I just never noticed before or if more men are just choosing to pee on the side of the road. This is how the scenario plays out most times for me;

me: *sitting in traffic and staring blankly out the window*

Mr pees-a-lot: *strolls to the most public place possible, and starts to pee

me :*notices Mr pees-a-lot and looks away for his dignity’s sake

Mr pees-a-lot: *possibly even carrying on a conversation at this point zips up and walks away like nothing ever happened.

WHY??? I suppose when nature calls and all that good stuff but WHY??? why on the side of the road where everybody can see you? Why aren’t you more discreet sir?

2) Nigerian road users. I say road users because whether they’re in a Jeep, on an Okada (bike) or a pedestrian, Nigerian road users are a truly reckless group. Firstly, what is a lane? A lane is simply a suggestion on Nigerian roads, some people would much rather stay smack in the middle of the road and then abuse you for trying to overtake them. Secondly, crossing an expressway? not dangerous at all :). Go on, run across a four lane road with your entire family cause…why not? Finally Okada drivers and your Keke Maruwa (Three wheeled thingybobs) cousins, the road belongs to you, because if it doesn’t I don’t understand your need to threaten everybody else’s existence.

3). Customer Service. Okay this one annoys me and confuses me at the same time. I call the customer service line to resolve an issue I’m having  and somehow I end up being yelled at. Or the cheerful waitress who found it just as funny as we did that half the things on the menu were not available. Or of course the delightful sales girls who are eternally irritated at the presence of customers in the store, especially customers who ask questions about the product.

Despite my many grievances and frustrations with this country, something about it still makes me happy. Maybe its cause this is where my family is and so it will always feel like home, or maybe it’s because as much as these things annoy you they make you laugh even just a little bit. Whatever it is, Nigeria has a texture to it that makes me feel something that is pretty difficult to explain. There is so much content in this country that is just sitting there waiting to inspire you. *Speaking of inspiration I need ideas for a play so if you think of something please leave it in the comments.* It took me leaving the country to see its potential because when you live in Nigeria  its too easy to get caught up in the redundancy of your daily hustle. Sitting in pointless traffic for 3hrs would suck the zeal out of anybody. Anyhow I’m excited for my next few weeks :D…just taking each day as it comes and trying to enjoy every minute of my stay.

I’d also like to know some of your grievances with where you live 😀 so feel free to leave a comment.

 

Picture by Willyverse

5 ways to tame a ‘fro?

Published on by maksu20137 Comments

how to tame an afro

I will start this post by saying an afro will never do all the same things that straight hair does. Why? cause its not the same thing! And that’s perfectly fine. Think of it like finding your shade of make up, you will achieve little by trying to use make up that is a billion shades too light or too dark. In the same way you will achieve little by trying to make your lush ‘fro do things that it can never do.  Secondly, just so nobody is misled, I am by no means a qualified “natural hair blogger” I feel like there is a certain commitment to hair care that you need to have to give other people steady hair care advice. Nevertheless, I have learned a few things in the short while that I have been natural that I thought I should share 🙂

1. Just because it worked for a couple of you-tubers doesn’t mean it will work for you.

This is a hard truth to face but it would have saved me a couple of bad hair days. Something as simple as a twist out could look very different depending on your hair texture. Twist outs have just never really worked for me but bantu knots and flexi rods have. Don’t be afraid to experiment but also don’t be afraid to quit while you’re ahead and find what works.

2. A wash and go is NOT always the less stressful option.

For a girl with super kinky curly hair, you must understand that only satan himself can tempt you to let your hair shrink completely without the necessary detangling process. Oh surrre “this is how your hair looks without anything done to it”, “your God-given mane” blah-di-blah blah! A wash and go for you does not mean wash and head out the door, it means wash, detangle, twist or braid into large manageable sections until your hair is only slightly damp then you can unravel for the wash-and-go shrinkage. Otherwise you will utterly despise yourself on wash day with all the knots you will have.

3. Braids can save your life.

If you’re perfectly honest with yourself, you probably spend a truck load of time on your hair every week. While it could be incredibly relaxing to rake through your mane on a Saturday afternoon, (I know I’m not the only one soothed by that thought) you could be doing some slightly more productive things. Having your hair braided affords you that privilege for however long you decide to keep your braids in. PLUS you can venture new styling options. (yet another excuse to rake through your mane on Saturday :D)

4. A little heat ever so often won’t kill you.

I say this with caution because heat-damage is realer than real. Nothing worse than caring for your hair day and night for years or months and to have all that hard work incinerated in the menacing jaws of a flat iron. (A tad dramatic I know, but its scary though!) However, a little heat once in a blue moon used CORRECTLY can make fabulous hair.

5. When all else fails just wrap it up.

If your hair isn’t long enough yet to go in a bun just wrap your head. Actually there are days when even a bun looks kinda meh. On such days your best bet is to wrap your head and go with the “I’m eclectic” vibe. Just because you have a hot mess on your head doesn’t mean the world has to know it.

That being said, here’s to a fabulous 2014, with more good hair days than bad, more productivity than lolly gagging in bed watching episode after episode of Girlfriends, and being a better person than I was in 2013 😀

A very Happy new year to you all!

Begin-How to Tame a 'Fro