Menstruation (Days 1-6): “Moisturize and nourish”

Low estrogen and progesterone can make skin feel dry and look dull or tired. A rise in the prostaglandins hormone can cause the skin to feel more sensitive and inflamed. 

During this phase: 

1. Avoid exfoliating and waxing

2. Focus on hydration

3. Use an anti-inflammatory raw honey mask to hydrate and calm any existing breakouts

4. Rest and take time for yourself

The miraculous journey to Faith has taught me that:

I am resilient, I can conquer any challenges in life now and in the future

It is ok to feel pain, to feel sad, to really honour and feel every emotion in your body (they are not bad), -they are the fuel the fire to your purpose.

It is ok to grow and glow from the teachable moments and lessons in every challenging situation.

Not to be paralyzed by shame and worry …….

40 Things I have learned in 40 Years⁠

⁠

1. My belief in God is truly the rock on which I stand.⁠

2. Gratitude can literally bring peace to your daily life.⁠

3. “Closure” is OVERRATED!!!, Forgive yourself, forgive the next person and move FORWARD…. ⁠

4. Change is good, scary but good⁠

5. Honesty is sometimes concealed by a seeming wealth of knowledge and deception⁠

⁠ 6. Routines and systems are a life hack for a smoother running household. If you fall off track, it's ok to take a moment before you go back to basics and get back on track. ⁠

⁠ 7. Marriage is challenging but absolutely beautiful⁠

⁠ 8. Sometimes when doing the right thing, it means standing alone. This may be hard but it’s doable⁠

⁠ 9. Haircare and skincare is truly near and dear to my heart ⁠

⁠ 10. “Failure” is an option, don’t fear failure, fear having never tried.⁠….

During the summer months, I usually have more than enough time to edit my Youtube (Sierra Marissa) and Instagram (raynedits_) videos, but I have to make time for these things during the school year. To get ready, I am making a schedule to follow during the school year to keep everything organized to my preference. For example, when my morning alarm goes off at 7:15 a.m.:

Every single teacher around this world was thrust into unknown waters, but had people looking at us to have all of the education answers – please remember…teachers execute the plans of others. We don’t EVER make the rules. …..

How To Achieve The Perfect Bantu Knot-Out For 4C Natural Hair

Nothing New Under The Sun/Earlier Years/Chiney Bumps

It’s funny how they say nothing under the sun is new, since about 2009-2010 when the natural hair movement started, I noticed that a lot of the styles I wore and disliked as a child had now been considered chic, to my surprise the Bantu Knot-Out was one of them.

I loved this look when I was a teen but dreaded the process.

I used to do very small Bantu Knots which would take me all day to complete. Fast forward to adult life, I really didn’t want to spend hours doing Bantu knots in my hair so I tweaked the process, it may have taken me 25 years but we are here now and that all that matters.

Growing up in a country (Jamaica) where colourism is very real and blatant, I was taught by society to hate my features and skin tone. From the thickness and fullness of my lips to the kinks in my hair and the deep tone of my skin, I was taught by my peers and their parents and even the older generations that this is not what beauty looked like.

However, when the world/society fed me that garbage, I would always come home to the teachings of my parents.

Nevertheless, as a child when I visited my older cousins who wore makeup I had to dabble in their makeup a little bit and by dabble I mean to use it every chance I got.

I noticed pretty quickly that after attempting to do my makeup, I would always appear lighter than I am and after all my cousins and I are of very similar complexion. While this was obvious, I didn’t give it much thought, I was just happy to be wearing makeup.

TEENS ARE RUDE, OBNOXIOUS BUT SMART AND OFTEN THINK FOR THEMSELVES!

As a teen, I had many questions about the church I grew up in. Questions like:

1. Why do we chastise other churches?

2. How is it the only people going to heaven are us?

3. Is heaven small, because, by our standards, only Jamaican Apostolics will be there?

4. Why do we talk down to people and other churches, that seems odd for Christians?

And the list continues.

So here comes 2020, which started with not so good news from my accountant (Hmmm!) January 3, 2020, to be exact. That conversation with my accountant silenced me for weeks…

I was in no mood to speak to anyone about anything. I told my husband that the conversation with my accountant did not go well and