My daughter loves the versatility she has with her locs! She never liked the plastic barrettes and bows, but I’m the mom lol! All little girls need to wear a few bows and barrettes to get the certified little girl stamp.
Since she started her loc journey she’s thrilled that I no longer braid her hair every 2/3/4 weeks "basically" when the style starts to look a mess . She still loves her pigtails.
She love the fact that she can still wear loose natural hair styles
Instagram & YouTube : JNaeTV
Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Water 💦 (Babyhair) That shine tho! It will be gone once she gets out of school lol. Headband
Hi!
It’s been a few months since I post a blog about work from home opportunities. I’m back! I'm happy to
share new job post ! Remember to apply asap! Jobs go quickly!
Her hair was freshly washed and this was a last minute attempt. The next time we will do the bun on dry hair and just spritz it with water. We try our best to not go to sleep with wet locs. It’s a big NO NO!
(AFTER )
We used a headscarf at night to lay her edges down. I only use EXTRA VIRGIN OIL. I learned that this is the only oil that works for both of our hair. It’s light, but it does a great job. We don’t use any edge control. I am the only one who styles her hair. When she’s with her Dad I try to help her remember the things we do when she’s with me. It’s hard, but I tell her spritz her locs with water, put a headband on and wear it down.
I won’t be doing a loc bun often because she’s at the beginning stage and we don’t need tension on her edges.
She loved her bun and she was amazed that her roots looked like loose natural hair.
Kidswithlocs is a #hashtag that I follow on Instagram. Under this hashtag you can find so many pictures of kids wearing Locs! Now you can find JNaeTV too! 💕
I was shocked that my daughter wanted locs. Of course she took interest in my starter loc journey, but she was really fascinated with straight hair.
Before we committed to her loc journey I asked her what did she want me to do to her hair because once it locs up it’s going to take time to comb them out or last result... cut her hair. She requested box braids
and wanted me to straighten her hair.
However, once she saw pictures of people growing their locs from childhood age to adult she was amazed. I gave in 💕 I asked her about 20 times if she still wanted them and her answer was YES. She tells me all the time she loves her locs because she doesn’t need a comb lol 😂 Her faves and loc hair goals:
Mom life definitely keeps me busy and now the death of my brother has taken a toll. I’m absolutely not giving up, but I’m going through it.
Grieving. It’s natural.
You’re probably weathering your own storms. Guess what? We can do this! I tend to disappear when things happen in my life and I don't want to do that this time around. The last time something devastating happened I stayed away from YouTube and my blog. I actually enjoy them both. So much happened while I was away. It’s a hobby that I enjoy. My brother wouldn't want me to stop doing what I love.
I love him! I miss him!
Remember him with me 💙
The last conversation I had with him was in the parking lot of Burger King in Hoover, Alabama. The kids were excited to see “Uncle Man”. They hugged and we took pictures. The conversation was going so well that he said he would follow us to the park with the kids to talk more. That was different, but I said Yes sure. We talked about the kids and I moving back home to Alabama. I’ve lived in the DMV area for 10 years. I started getting homesick a year ago, but I needed to make sure that it was real. It’s real.
Officially homesick.
The kids and I have met some amazing people in the (DMV )friendships for life, but they also show a different side when they are in Alabama. It’s always a cry fest when we leave. I never thought I would get to that point that I am ready to go.
My brother told me that I was a good mom and that he missed me. He said sis you look so happy! I was like really ☺️. He said come home sis.
(Text sent later that night to me from my brother )
We sat at the park on the bench while my children and their cousins played. We talked about jobs, life and the future. It was a happy moment. He was so happy. I didn’t know that JUNE 2018 would be the last time I saw him physically. We hugged and I said I love you and see you next time I’m in town. I watched him drive off in his car until his car left my eyesight and I never do that because I expected to see him again. Look at God💙
Moments With Toya is what I title my vlogs. They are really short because I'm clearly not a fan of long videos. If you watch my videos you're probably thinking yea we know that lol. I like to share bits and pieces of my life. I am showing other women or men that there is life after a break up or divorce.
My vlogs are about exposing the good things about life after. I think further down the line if there is an issue that I feel is important I won't hesitate to share. I'm always filming even if I don't post it. Break ups and divorce can be brutal and some people become stuck in sadness for way too long. It's OK to mourn the loss, but not too long. Don't waste too much of your time dwelling in the past. Life is Beautiful and you should spend your days being happy and blessed that you and your family are able to enjoy another day of life. ❤️ In the words of Jada Pinkett Smith saying (That Part).
As for my blogs, I will leave the drama to Love and Hip Hop which is a guilty tv pleasure lol. I'm not saying there isn't drama during a break up or divorce, however remain positive.
Peace of mind goes a long way. It affects everything such as parenting, job, routine and much more.
I hope that by sharing my moments I can give you a glimpse of what you are missing out on if you think life doesn't go on.
I can tell you this it happened lol. My routine is still the same. I washed my hair with the SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Shampoo. I did a review on my previous blog. Go check it out!
After I wash my hair, I immediately apply extra virgin olive oil to my locs and scalp. Then I start the retwist process.
Lately, my clips have gone missing along with my bobby-pins and ponytail holders lol (cringe moment)😟 I manage. Does this happen to you?
After my retwist, I sit under the dryer for 30 mins because I don’t want to encounter any smells of mildew etc or go to bed with wet hair. ( Of course I've went to bed with wet hair before :)
Any styling which is always minimal is done the next day.
I’m proud to say I’m the only one that maintains my locs. Maybe once they grow longer and stronger I might treat myself to a professional style lol.
My hair is maturing and growing. Those spaces are filling in and they aren't thin anymore. Yes to growth!
I tried another shampoo and ... I like it! If castor oil is attached to a product I’m willing to try it. I don’t use castor oil on my locs because I’m afraid it would cause buildup. I was very nervous about the peppermint. I was extremely excited about the apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is known to help remove buildup.
This shampoo was exactly what my daughter and I hair needed. It lathered nicely and had a sweet (vanilla) smell. The light tingling sensation from the peppermint didn’t bother us. As I stated; I’m not a fan of any product that involves peppermint lol.
I could feel the shampoo thoroughly cleansing my scalp and nourishing my locs. It didn’t feel like it stripped or dried my hair out. I immediately applied extra virgin olive oil as my moisturizer to my locs right after my wash.
I purchased this product for $7 at my localDollar General. I had no intentions of changing my shampoo, but the game has changed. I don’t know how good this product would work on my loose natural hair, but it works great with my locs.
I couldn’t just skip over month 7 of my loc journey like it never happened. I uploaded a video on my YouTube channel, but I never posted a blog.
During month 7, I noticed the locs on my side were not as strong as the others. I made the decision to combine 2 locs on each side. This was a great decision. I've always struggled with my edges. In my relaxer days I had to be very gentle. Going natural almost 10 years ago has helped with this issue. If I dig a little deeper; I remember when postpartum took my edges out lol I laugh now, but it wasn’t funny both pregnancies.
Month 7 was great! I learned how to take action before matters get worse. Combine your locs if you need too! A strong foundation is important. Products I used the suave clarifying shampoo. I don't use conditioner. I retwist with extra virgin olive oil. I still sit under the dryer for 30 mins. I wear a bonnet to bed. Some nights the bonnet doesn’t make an appearance. However, I try my best to wear one. I am truly proud to say that I maintain my own locs. I’m even more proud to say I started and maintain my daughters locs.
Month 7 is about maturity. My locs are thicker and feel healthy. I am so satisfied thus far!
I know it's been a minute. Matter of fact months! However, let me start my first blog off with HOW I FILM MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS! I could make a video, but I don't feel like it lol. I must say a ring light comes in handy! When the sun goes down you can still film videos. In a perfect world, my videos would be filmed using direct sunlight, but I don't make time to record in the day. (Keyword "MAKE") Honest moment lol.
I use a Canon T6i to record my videos. I'm still learning how to use this camera. I've owned it for almost 2 years now. On my spare time I watch videos on YouTube to show me how to operate my Canon camera. It can be very intimidating and frustrating. I know enough to get the job done. Every time I purchase a camera, I side with Canon. However, I really want the Sony A5000. I want a mirrorless camera really bad! It's not heavy like my Canon and they are powerful. I can't keep up lol. As of today, my Canon is worth $500. It's still popular too! This camera requires heavy duty lifting. I get a great workout if I have to hold it.
After watching several YouTube videos, I finally found my ring light! I've owned it for a year and half and it's still going strong. I've owned a few light stands. Below is the Ring light and Light Stand w/case I ordered from Amazon.
I wanted to make my videos work without purchasing the ring light, but overtime I tried to film at night the lighting was horrible. Now I need to invest in soft box lights then I'm done right? I was really excited once it arrived! I couldn't wait to set it up like a little kid.
I edit my videos using my Macbook Pro using the iMovie software. I downloaded the free Trial of Final Cut, but I'm so use to iMovie that Final Cut frustrates me. Plus it cost $299! I know everyone is using it for their videos. Not me or not yet lol.
If you post videos daily or weekly you will need MEMORY CARDS. I record so much footage that I run out of memory during a video and I have to stop. It's frustrating when that happens.
In a later post I might show how I record videos using my iPhone. Hope you enjoyed this post! Check out my YouTube channels :) (links below)
It's month 6 of my loc Journey! I’m so late posting this, but better late than NEVER.
Ok so month 6 was a breeze! I’m being honest! I wished I loc'd my hair earlier, but then again maybe I wasn’t ready. Well... I did loc before I turned 40. I am still the only one maintaining my locs. It's been over 10 years since I allowed someone to do my hair. I'm afraid that someone will twist my hair too tight.
I actually think I'm doing a great job!
What do you think?
My starter locs get wet once a week.
It's pretty much a quick wash/rinse afterwards I use a blow dryer.
For my retwist:
I only useextra virgin olive oil and water. After my retwist I sit under the dryer for only 30 mins! I can’t do anything more than 30 mins it gets TOO hot! I retwist once a month. So far so good!
My locs turned 5 months old! Yep, 5 months of not combing my natural hair. I have no complaints. I don't give much thought to my hair. I want to keep it that way. Low manipulation is key. I do favor putting my hair in a side ponytail. This can't be good if I do this too often. When I'm home I just let my hair be free with no hair bands. This month I did purchase a few oils per my previous blog post. The BB Jamaican Black Castor Oil is my favorite. I love castor oil. I also purchased thewild growth oil which can be found at most local beauty supply stores. Extra virgin olive oil is still on my fave list. I love it because it's light weight. I haven't dealt with product build-up. I only use shampoo on my hair. At this point of my journey I feel conditioner would not be wise. I can see myself half washing it out on a lazy wash day. I will continue to stray away from it at the moment. I'm only 5 months into my loc journey and I don't feel that it would be beneficial. If I did I would coat my hair with a light conditioner. I didn't do a retwist this month. I have plans for month 6 so I decided to skip it. In the picture below you can see that I need a retwist, but it still looks nice! So yep, month 6 I will definitely retwist my hair and of course I will have footage.
She looks refreshing! She looks beautiful! She looks confident!
(More pics )
Nothing wrong with wearing wigs, but I'm sure Tamar feels liberated to walk around feeling free. You know when you've been wearing that wig all day and can't wait to hang it back up :) I imagine that's how she feels! I bet Vince ... Never mind I'm minding my own business on this one lol.
Sooooooooooooo I started my loc journey using extra virgin olive oil. When I started my natural hair journey back in 2009 Castor oil was my staple. I went to Walmart looking for the Wild growth oil, but my store does not carry that product. I want to thicken up my edges and keep them healthy and strong.
I was determined to leave with a oil. This one caught my eye and I made the purchase. The cost was $6.97. Not too bad! I usually purchase Castor oil in a small jar or plastic container so it felt weird purchasing it as a spritzer.
OK so Day 1 thoughts ...
I'm loving it! It's not messy at all. I spritz my scalp all over and it wasn't sticky. I think this will be a staple. It's also good for your skin!
Spritzing oil on your skin is so convenient and controlled.
Will I stop using extra virgin olive oil ? No
I love both!
Water and Extra Virgin Olive Oil will be used for my retwist.
Can Kengkids Bake? Find out by watching our new video! Did it get messy? Can they follow box instructions together? How did it taste? THANKS FOR WATCHING! LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE!
I love the Suave clarifying shampoo on wash/retwist day. My hair feels so clean without feeling stripped. I started using this shampoo because for month 1, 2 and 3 I used Murray's Gel Loc-Lock for my starter locs.
While I do like this product I must clarify my hair. It doesn't leave major build up. It's easily removed with the the clarifying shampoo. I'm not heavy handed while using this product; I only apply a small amount.
In this video I show you my wash day routine. It may change so stay tuned!
I'm all about keeping it simple these days! However, I'm still the same Toya/KCC who gets bored with routine. In my video I give a little variety of my everyday quick styles. All of the styles in the video are not limited to starter locs. This is the most low maintenance I've ever been with my natural hair. My natural hair journey started 10/9/2009. Wow! I thought I couldn't live without a relaxer lol.
