Virtual Play Date!!!

We have been invited to a play date hosted by Kandy over at Kandy Land Kurls & by a participant, A Mother's Love.

Thanks so much for including us and allowing us to join in on your playdate.

We must list 10 facts about our little ones to share with everyone else. This is a shared blog that consists of 3 BlessedCurlyGurlz so we will each share some facts about them, separately.

~BlessedMomOf3
(Mom to AngelzCurlz & JoifulzCurlz)
I will share 5 facts about each one of my daughters!
AngelzCurlz (age 4)
1. She has so much personality but you would never know it because she rarely speaks to anyone outside of Hubby and I.
2. She spent a year in preschool and did not say a word to her teacher the entire year...lol
3. She loves to sing, dance and put on a show for her siblings.
4. She could write her name, her siblings names and correctly spell up to 10 words  before she turned 4!
5. Her favorite food is Lasagna and her favorite snack is carrots :)

JoifulzCurlz (age 7)
1. She has no idea how atheletic she is! She has a natural talent for basketball, gymnastics, track, tennis and soccer. She's better than most boys her age and a few years older.
2. She loves to read chapter books (Junie B Jones is her favorite)
3. She has tons of energy and hits the growund running from sunrise to sunset.
4. She's very outgoing and loves to make others laugh.
5. She loves to sing and go to church :)

~Sdestra
(mom to MadiMelzCurlz age 6)
1. She loves to read her Bible (The Sweetest Story Bible).
2. She loves to dance and recently performed in a recital.
3. You can hear her sing her heart out and she can hit those notes!
4. She understands more than she speaks French-Creole (Haitian Language).
5. Extremely active in everything that requires physical energy.
6. She loves her grandfather to pieces! (My father)
7. Adores her baby brother and thinks I don't know what I'm doing.
8. She wants me to cut her hair because it's too long...lol.
9. She loves Haitian, Thai, Indian & Mexican foods (I cook them all).
10. She loves to talk A LOT and will have a full blown conversation with anyone for atleast an hour.


To join the play date, post 10 facts about your little one/ones in the comment section below. If you have a blog, post 10 things about your child/children. Next thank and link back to the person who invited you to the play date and invite a few other blogs to participate in the online play date!

We would like to invite: Mochamom (Cherish My Daughter)

Protective Hair Styles

We believe that protective hairstyles are essential for hair retention and can ultimately give you the added benefit of hair growth.  Protective styling helps to prevent breakage since your hair may be breaking off faster than it grows. What protective styles do is keep your ends "protected."

When wearing protective styles, be sure that your ends are put away and that you moisturize your ends at least 3 times per week.  Moisturizing and sealing your ends helps to protect your hair from shedding and dryness. 

Try any of these protective styles and see if you experience more hair retention.  But please be patient, things do not happen over night :-).  Taking pictures from time to time of your Curly Gurlz' hair progress will help you compare progression. 

~ BUNS: This is a simple style that works for any occasion, especially dressy or formal ones. All you need are bobbypins and/or an elastic/ouchless band. Buns work on relaxed and natural hair with a relative amount of ease. You can part your hair down the center or on one side if you prefer.  Feel free to add hair accessories such as flowers, a decorated barrette, clip on hair bows or head bands to give it that added touch.

~ 2 STRAND TWISTS/FLAT TWISTS:  This is a very popular protective style that we love to do on our BCG's.  It is not only simple and durable but it is quite versatile and can be worn for any occasion. Twists work best on natural hair because it gives the hair a better hold without unraveling. They work for children and for adults.  The variety of ways in which they are worn give you fashionable styles while still protecting your delicate ends.

~ BRAIDS: You can either braid, cornrow or do a combination of both on your daughter's hair. Wearing this protective style also gives you versatility and longevity. You can easily get 2-4 weeks of wear out of this simple, low maintenance style. Like twists, braids can also be worn for a variety of occasions and worn fashionably with added accessories. You still need to care for your hair and scalp while you're wearing them. So be sure to moisturize and protect your hair by wrapping it in a scarf every night. And to keep the hair looking fresh after it starts to look a little unruly...you can moisturize the edges and use a light gel to smooth the hair and tie it down with a scarf.

~ CORNROWS: The cornrow hairstyle involves braiding the hair very close to the scalp. Cornrows come in a variety of designs and are worn on both your hair and your daughter's. One of the advantages of cornrows is that they allow the hair to be worn long, without the requirement of chemical treatments to keep it under control.   Cornrows can provide many benefits such as length retention, hair protection and offer many style possibilities. They are quick and simple to do and allow an endless amount of creativity. They can be dressed up or add color coordination by adding hair accessories such as beads, flowers, head bands, barrettes and etc... But be sure not to braid too tight, this can cause too much tension to the scalp and hair being pulled.

Other protective hairstyles include bantu knots, box braids, banding, african threading, low pony's (with your ends tucked away) and weaves/extensions/clip on pony's and etc...  We personally do not use weaves or extensions on our BCG's hair simply because of personal preferences.  We have found that the use of the protective styles previously listed have been beneficial in providing them with healthy hair.  Protective styling can be considered as styles that don't require so much work and mostly protect the hair ends.  For more pictures of these type of styles please click on the tabs "Styles" and "Braids/Twists" on the right and you will be directed to a variety of pictures.

Feel free to share your ideas !!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY~ Celebrate those wonderful dads!!!

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it...
Dad
- Author Unknown

Have a wonderfully blessed Father's Day!

With Love,
BlessedCurlyGurlz, Sdestra & BlessedMomOf3

Hair care: Sun, Skin & Swimming...

YAY, IT'S SUMMER TIME!!!!!

It's getting hot outside for most of us and we can't wait to pack the cooler, the bathing suits, the car and hit the road to jump into the water! Whether it's the pool, beach, lake, even enjoying the outdoors in the sun...there are some things that you can do to intercept some of the damaging things that can affect the hair & body.

Chlorine & Salt Water- Chlorine & Salt can cause so much damage to the hair. One of the ways to protect the hair before getting into the pool is to wet the hair prior to going in. Remember that the hair is like a sponge and will absorb what you put on it. And since the hair is already wet prior to getting in, the chlorine will not have much room to get in.  It will penetrate LESS into the hair. Another thing that has worked with our Curly Gurlz is to saturate the hair with conditioner prior to getting into the pool.  It is also important to wash the hair right away and not let the chlorine or salt dry.

Hats- Hats can and will protect the hair from the harsh heat and rays from the sun. Extreme exposure to the heat without any protection can cause the hair to become extremely dry and brittle over time. Put that hat on!  They are stylish and so much fun!

Sunscreen- This is important for the skin and to protect it from burns and other damaging affects in the future. The skin is the largest organ on our bodies.  And just as it protects our internal organs from the elements, it would be good to protect it too so it can do it's work for us.  Another affect the skin have is that it regulates our body temperature in the summer.  When it gets hot, it responds by releasing/secreting sweat through the sweat glands to help cool the body. 

There are many misconceptions about certain skin tones/shades out there in regards to the use and non use of sunscreen.  No matter what skin tone/shade you are, sunscreen is a must for everyone!  Protect your skin. 

Swimming Caps - Swim caps help in reducing the amount of water that goes into the hair.  Personally, it does not prevent water from wetting the hair, but it will not saturated.  The less chlorinated or salted water that is exposed to the hair, the better.  For some, it may be uncomfortable to wear, but it does it's job.  Swim caps are good for those that swim almost every day.

Conditioner- .  Washing with a moisturizing conditioner into the hair atleast 1-2 times a week will help with restoring moisture in the hair that may have been lost during the grueling heat from the sun and the water. Leave-in Conditioners work great in the summer and there are some out there that do have sunscreen in them

Heat- Not only does the heat from the sun can damage the hair, but heat sources like the blow dryer, flat irons and such can also take a toll too.  Trying to do more styles where you can air dry will keep the hair from getting hit so many times with heat.  Too much heat will and can damage the hair and cause slow breakage where length will be difficult to retain.

Protective styles - Protective styling are hair styles that keep the hair off the shoulders. Children get irritated easily especially in the hot heat. There are plenty of styles you can do with your Curly Gurl'z hair that will keep from tickling their skin, but also help in keeping the hair ends protected too. Protected ends equals retaining length.  The styles are endless...you can refer to one of our tabs with plenty of photos for inspiration!

Moisturize, moisturize & moisturize! 

Try not to get too worked up or overly concerned about your Curly Gurlz getting their hair wet. If their hair comes in contact with chlorine just be sure to do a good wash (with a non drying clarifying or non chelating shampoo) and condition once the fun has ended for the day. Deep conditioning throughout the week will be beneficial as well. This is good for those who are frequent swimmers. If you don't have a clarifying shampoo you can add baking soda to your shampoo. This will help remove some of the chlorine from her hair. If you plan to spend the day outdoors or at the beach apply Sesame oil. It is a natural blocker of UV rays. Most importantly relax, make plenty of cherishable memories and HAVE FUN!!

And don't forget to drink plenty of water!

(Everything on BCG's blog is for informational purposes only, we are not experts and suggest taking and using information at your own discretion.)