Check out the BGLH Event On Tomorrow- and Giveaways- Hair Products and Beauty Cases

Picture of naturals and vendors at the April BGLH meetup

Guess what, guys, it's time for another meetup.  I'm sure a lot of you diehard naturals are already aware of the Black Girl Long Hair (BGLH) meetup here in Chicago, which is hosted by Leila.  If you want to see a beautiful array of natural hairstyles this is the place to be.  There will be tons of vendors there, selling all of your natural hair needs from earrings, shoes, hats, you name it, it will most likely be there.

Oooh! but here's the kicker,  Titi and Miko Branch owners of Miss Jessie's will be there doing live demonstrations on natural hair and giving away full size products gift bags to 400 people.

                                             When: Tomorrow, Sunday July 24, 2011                                
                                             Where: Little Black Pearl
                                             Time: 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
                                             Entrance Fee: $5.00 at the door

Here I am at the last meet-up selling satin beauty cases (pillow cases) by yours truly, Barbara of Barbaranaturallyspeaking.blogspot.com.  You can place your orders online if you want additional cases.  No shipping fee will be applied if you place an order on tomorrow, Sunday July 23, 2011.  In addition the 100th person to "follow" on my blog at http://www.barbaranaturallyspeaking.blogspot.com and like my facebook fan page gets a case in the color of his/her choice, as well as the 115th person to follow on my blog and like my facebook fan page gets a case in the color of their choice.  Let's just say that there was some upgrades to the original cases.  Good luck! In celebration of the BGLH event and the spirit of giving.
    
Please forgive me for just posting this, if you haven't been keeping up with meetups.  It's been such a hectic week for me.  Until January I'm in class on Saturdays for 6 hours, and some classes are 9 hours.  I've been working on a homework assignment that has kept me up until 2:30 am most days this week trying to complete.  It felt so good to have gotten that turned in today.  It's tough because I work, and then have to deal with my little ones after work, so the only true quiet time to think and complete homework is at 11:00 and after.  As for now, I'm going to plan how to complete my assignments that have a due date for next week, the week after, and the next week, after I get some rest that is.  So forgive me if it seems like I'm on hiatus over the next few weeks.  I will aim to post weekly though.  Feel free to submit pictures for sharing.

Peace
Sincerely,
Barbaranaturallyspeaking

Natural Hair Speaks- Pic(s) of the Day- The Beauty of Reading

Submitted by Mesi W.

This photo was recently submitted and I love this pic!  It makes me think of the beauty of reading, the beauty of sharing a story, and the beauty of teaching.  Book reading in the early years teach vocabulary, assist with answering questions, and help the reader experience places and new adventures that they may not encounter on a daily basis.  

Is there a favorite book that you like to read or share with children?  Do you know of any early books with illustrations of "natural haired children"?

  

   

The Benefits Of Biking With Curls

Hi guys.  Here's a recent pic of me and my family enjoying our bikes.  Bike riding is so much fun.  It's just as much fun for me and my hubby as it is for our children.  This is a recent ride along Chicago's lakefront, navy pier, and past Buckingham Fountain.  The kids get to have fun, and we get some peaceful moments of family time.  We wear our helmets to make sure that we have an extra layer of protection in case of accidents or falls.  My sons easily and enthusiastically place their helmets on their heads before biking.  Anyone who knows me, understands that it takes a lot for me to wear a hat or helmet on my head.  My biggest question prior to biking was "How can I get my natural hair under this helmet without looking crazy?"  LOL!  I basically form two low puffs on my hair and secure each with a scrunchy.  I do the same for my daughter's hair.  She's been wearing high puffs lately, so before riding I just move them downward, and Voila! the problem of how to get a helmet over "big hair" is instantly solved.  If you would have asked me 3 + years ago if I would ever wear two puffs in public, I would have laughed about it.  For some reason, since going natural I love my hair in every state that it's in.  In fact I rocked my puffs and didn't think twice or obsess over whether they looked bad or anything.  I just accepted my hair for what it is, textured, natural, and full.  Oh, let me get back to biking.  It has so many wonderful health benefits.  I found a recent article on the Huffington Post about the benefits of biking.  According to a Harvard Study cited on the Huffington Post, biking for even 5 minutes can minimize weight gain for middle aged women.  Check out the entire article to learn the benefits of what 30 minutes of biking can do at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/17/bike-to-work-week_n_863152.html .  Biking is truly fun.  It actually brings back memories of my childhood, yep no worries, just riding through and enjoying the scenes.  I'm so enjoying the benefits of biking with curls!

Does anyone else enjoy biking?  Do you wear a helmet? and if so, "What do you do with your hair under your helmet?

I Saw Naturals At The "Taste Of Chicago" - Natural Haired People That Is

Hey curlies!  I took a small break over the holiday weekend to enjoy my family, but rest assured I still appreciated spotting some great naturals at the "Taste of Chicago".  There were many people sporting natural hair styles, so I wanted to give you a glimpse of a few of the them.  I spotted this lady sporting a beautiful afro (pictured above).  Her hair was truly gorgeous.  I couldn't help but think that she was ready for national afro day, which is celebrated on the 4th of July.  Next I spotted a dance group with two natural haired men.  

There was a crowd and I did catch a back glimpse of his locs on camera.  The next natural that I spotted left me in awe as well with her beautiful voluminous fro.  

I spotted her fro at the "Pepsi" table.  I was grateful for Pepsi, because they were giving out free samples.  It was scorching hot and this cold sample was right on time.  I also found a new vegan restaurant called "Loving Hut".  It's an international vegan chain of restaurants.  I nabbed a taste portion of one of the spicy nuggets.  It's ashamed that I can't recall the exact name of the dish, however I remember that spicy was in the name of the dish.  I like to try new things, I just wish that the dish was spicier, because I didn't taste a lot of spice.  I like spicy foods to be really spicy, but that's just me.  I'm going to have to find the one in Chicago and try out another dish.     

Yep the taste of Chicago was fun.  I enjoyed a scorching hot day with family, walking, trying new foods, and seeing naturals.  In summary, I saw naturals at the taste of Chicago, natural haired people that is!  

Did any one else sport any natural haired people at the "Taste of Chicago"?  Did you try any new foods?  If so what was the dish?

Oil Spills On Clothing After Applying Oil to Natural Hair

Hi Curlies, I know you're wondering "What's with the photo?"  Let me explain.  It's a picture of the top portion of my shirt.  If you look closely there's a small oil stain there.  "How did it get there?" you might ask. This morning I sprayed my hair with a water, oil, and conditioner mix.  Next I dipped my finger into a container of coconut oil, rubbed my hands together and applied lightly from root to tip.  I brushed the edges a little and formed my hair into a puff.

When I looked down at my shirt I noticed that I had dropped a little oil.  OMG!  I hate to have a stain on clean clothing first thing in the morning, however I somehow manage to get one of these at least every 2 weeks.  I typically put a towel around my shoulders in the morning to avoid these fiasco's, but this morning I was rushing.  I decided to wear it, as I had to get ready quickly so that I could trail my hubby to the auto glass shop.

If you hadn't heard there was a hail storm in Chicago last night. When it stopped we went outside to see that my husbands entire sunroof was shattered over the front seat, and his front windshield was cracked.  My vehicle on the other hand looked as if someone took a sledgehammer and knocked dents from the front to the back.  Once the insurance company called and gave us a claim number, we hurried over to the auto shop because we knew that there would be a lot of other people waiting in line also.  Anyways, back to my hair.  I should have covered my shirt before applying oil and rushing.  After all, those who use coconut oil, are well aware that it turns into a liquid in warm weather.  Now I need to figure out how to get this oil out of my shirt.  Ugh!

Does anyone else experience oil spills when applying oil to their hair?  Also Does anyone know of a way to remove those dog-one spots?

Hoping every one is safe and able to drive their vehicles after the storm.