busy busy busy

Gosh I’ve been so busy lately! Not only has work picked up but I’ve been receiving SO many orders for my business. Speaking of my business, I’ve been working non-stop on this website and also making Ready-To-Ship (RTS) items as well. Things are really looking up for me and my business.

With all that aside, I’ve been doing a little more research into natural hair care. I’ve recently come across the brand Carol’s Daughter. This product looks very promising for Peanut and his locs of love. Although I have been making his moisturizers and hair lotions, creams, and butters, I think this will have to be my next purchase. Once we move forward with purchasing and testing the product, I will do a little product review for you all. Stay tuned!

~Charissa

Inspiration

What is your inspiration?

I have been asked this many times as far as my singing career. My inspiration comes from everywhere but I have come to a conclusion that my inspiration(s) are musicians/artists. Which in that case I have many.

• Celine Dion
• Whitney Houston
• Aaliyah
• Michael Jackson

I’m very big into music. I always have been, I record in the studio every chance I get. I am always writing music, lyrics, producing the music, and singing. I love it all! Peanut does too. Ever since he could mumble, he would try to sing. When he was 1 I let him get on the studio beat machine/drum pad and he made a pretty decent beat, which I still have recorded. Ever since then Peanut will ask me everyday if he can play the drums. I bought him a play keyboard ($10 at Wal-Mart) and he fell in love with it. He, recently, “wrote” me a song he says and he’ll play it for me and sing. He’s the cutest! I try to be his inspiration and I think I’m doing a fairly good job 🙂

Now, for crafting and knitting/crocheting, my inspiration comes from everywhere. I could be walking down the street and think, “Wow that color would look great for a scarf!” or something along those lines. I’m inspired by fellow crafters, knitters, and crocheters. Inspiration is all around us. Where do you find yours?

~Charissa

 

Update on Peanut’s hair

Let’s start off with me saying, MY! Oh my, is his hair long! 🙂 Following his hair care routine Peanut’s hair has grown about 4-5 inches I’d say, maybe more. Here is a picture of his length when I first started this blog.

Right here in this picture his length was about 5 inches.

And here is his length at the present time:

I wanna say that his hair now is at least 9 or 10 inches.

I love his free natural hair, curls and all. Although I do braid it on occasion and he just LOVES his braids!!

We get complaiments on his hair every time we leave the house. I’m very proud of how his hair is turning out and so is he. I’m so glad that my almost 3 year old boy is proud of such a beautiful thing, his natural biracial hair. 🙂 It is so very important to show our biracial (or black) babies that their hair is luscious and luxurious!! BE PROUD OF THAT NATURAL HAIR!
Good day everyone,
Charissa

Looky who we have…

Hey everyone, remember I said we were have a special guest? 🙂 Here she is, none other than my sister Danielle!!! She wanted to share something that has been on her heart lately.

Hi, I’m Danielle. I am 14 years old and soon to be 15 on September 17th. I am going into 10th grade which makes me a sophomore in high school. My favorite color is yellow & I absolutely LOVE Batman! My favorite sport is football. I have an older sister (as you know, hehe) and an older brother. Oh and I love my nephew, Peanut!!! hehe

I’m basically here on my sister’s blog to talk with you all about family and the importance of them. So, family is important because most of the time they are supportive and behind you and your dreams 100% of the time. They are most always there for you when you fall and will pick you back up to your feet to make sure you try again. Family is there to teach you the basics in life like how to love, how to go out and live your life, & teach you wrong from right. Communication is the key to every strong family. Talk with them, help them trust you. If you don’t hide things from them; #1. the less you hurt them #2. they will have more trust in you. The family you were raised with almost always has that unconditional love for you. Don’t betray that, you’ll regret it. Big time. In our house, family always comes first.

-Danielle

during naptime

During naptime (and bedtime), this is what my time consists of. Business, crocheting (and knitting, although the needles aren’t in the photo), and designing. I’m currently working on a clutch purse for a huge order. It’s to match a few hats and a couple fingerless gloves.

I’m working on new designs for the shop, new patterns for fellow knitters and crocheters, and pushing to make a full time operation out of my business. I have an AWESOME web designer/engineer putting my website together. (If you’d like his information for a website of your own please email me at lovemybiracialbabies@yahoo.com) We’re also working on my logo and some photography for my product! All so very exciting, can’t wait to launch!!

-Charissa

P.S. We will be having a special guest poster tomorrow!! Stay tuned to see who we have on board for tomorrow!!! 🙂

Dry Skin?

My poor baby (Peanut) has such dry skin. When he was about 6 months I started to notice it a whole lot. I didn’t really know what to do other than put lotion on and hope the dry skin clears up.

Well, there’s actually a lot we can do to prevent and treat said dry skin. For instance, when I’m giving Peanut a bath I will put about 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil in the tub while it’s filling up with water. I was extremely surprised at the result of such softness to his skin!!!

First and foremost, make sure you’re drinking water. Water is the BEST thing to stay hydrated!!!

Baking soda! By replacing dish soap with sprinkling a little bit of baking soda while hand washing dishes, will leave your hands soft and smooth! “A baking soda soak is a folk remedy to relieve itching. Add 1 cup baking soda to a tub of hot water. Soak for 30 minutes and air dry.” says Discovery Health.

Vitamin E is vital for healthy skin. This vitamin helps retain natural moisture in the skin. Foods to you can eat that are high in vitamin E are avocados, broccoli, dark leafy greens, ground flax seed/flax seed oil, nuts, seeds, wheat germ, etc.

Vitamin A helps soothe the dry, flaky skin. Vitamin A is also found in the dark leafy greens, along with carrots, pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, etc. This vitamin can also repair skin damage.

Any foods containing Zinc are great for dry skin as well. Oysters, crab, beans, leaf beef, turkey just to name a few. Zinc can also help heal wounds as well as cracked and dry skin. It repairs the damaged skin and helps prevent future damage to the skin.

Foods containing Omega 3’s, as I mentioned in my last post about Arthritis, contain fats (the good kind) to help soothe dry skin. Foods contain Omega 3’s will keep your skin moisturized and plump. 😉 *Also great for wrinkles* If you have eczema, you may need to increase the omega 3’s in your diet! Avocados, walnuts, salmon, tuna, flax seed are some foods containing Omega 3’s.

Lastly, definitely keep moisturized with your favorite moisturizer or lotion!

That’s all the time I have for today,
Charissa

research and development

Today I was talking to some friends in a crochet and knit group that I am apart of, and some of these ladies were telling me about their joints hurting or having arthritis. I was saddened by the stories so I decided to do some research, not only for them but for myself and Peanut as well. Let me share a little about what I had learned.

To prevent or calm the arthritis, I’ve learned that we need to eat at least 1 gram of Omega 3’s a day. We need to boost our Vitamin D intake, by drinking 2 glasses of low-fat milk each day. The sun actually triggers production of Vitamin D in our bodies, so we should spend 10-15 minutes a day out in the sun. For example, take the dog for a quick walk. 😉
Foods that have Omega 3’s are foods such as fatty fish (salmon, herring, sardines), walnuts, flax seeds, canola oil, pumpkin seeds, etc.

Another great item to have in our diets is Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. I know you’re probably thinking “Gross! By itself?!” Haha. No, of course not. Just put 1 TBSP (tablespoon) of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) in your salad, on your bread, or even on your veggies for a great amount in our diets.

Vitamin C!!! Nature’s supernatural cure for everything! LOL. Eating an orange and a cup of broccoli a day will give you about 200 milligrams of Vitamin C you need to keep your joints happy. It is recommended to intake about 200-500 milligrams of Vitamin C per day. It is also recommended to focus on FOODS with Vitamin C, not supplements. Other foods may consist of sweet peppers, and citrus-y foods 🙂

**BONUS INFO** Broccoli and Cauliflower can protect us from certain cancers, INCLUDING breast cancer!! STOCK UP ON THAT BROCCOLI LADIES! 😀

Brazil nuts and tuna have HUGE amounts of selenium. “Selenium is an essential mineral that helps protect cells against oxidative damage from free radicals. It is necessary for thyroid function and immune system functioning, as well as for overall health. The recommended daily intake for adults is 55 micrograms, states the University of Maryland Medical Center.” Low selenium can be linked to rheumatoid arthritis. As stated above, selenium regulates the thyroid gland and can prevent cancer. It is recommended to eat 22-200 micrograms of Brazil nuts or tuna each day. If you prefer something else, eat 32-35 micrograms of beef or turkey, or even 1 cup of cooked oatmeal.

A couple other foods are onions and leeks. They are good for arthritis as well. They act as an anti-inflammatory! Interesting, huh? If you’re concerned about bad breath, eat some cherry tomatoes or an apple and it’ll kick the smell. 😉 It is recommended to eat 1/2 cup a day. Another few good things to eat would be tart cherries (about 1/2 cup or 8oz juice-concentrated form from GNC) and some green tea (3-4 cups a day, caffeinated).

Well, that’s about all the research I’ve done on arthritis so far. I left a few links (my references) in the post for you all to go check out in your spare time. So now, I’m going to go finish off a few of these orders I have and check in a little later.

Have a wonderful evening everyone,
Charissa

TGIF..for real!!

As if this week couldn’t go by ANY slower!! haha. Anyway Peanut has been doing great potty-training! We only used 1 diaper (yesterday at naptime) in two days!!! Today, at naptime, he woke up after about 45 minutes, as he usually sleeps an hour, and I asked him to lay back down and close his eyes. He then responded and said, “Momma, I have to go peepee on the potty.” He got up from the bed, pulled down his Big Boy Underwear, and went to the bathroom! I am so proud! So, all-in-all he’s been doing great!!

Mini-vent, We were supposed to get paid today but didn’t, so I BETTER GET PAID ON MONDAY!!! smh. *phew*

Anyway, I’m going to be knitting and crocheting my heart out this weekend. I’m going to design my own business cards and hand them out all over town. I’m thinking about selling at local farmers markets and fairs. I’m going to be sending free samples to photographers in exchange for photos of my product in use so I can put up a website. Welp, I have to get Peanut ready for bed then hit up the local Wal-Mart.

Goodnight,
Charissa

POTTY TRAINING!!!

All this week (and parts of last week) Peanut has been potty-training but today we took it serious! Right after naptime we made a vow, NO MORE DIAPERS! So far he’s been doing GREAT!

‎We are now at 15 hours, 1 real accident and 1 accident that he caught (so that one doesnt count) and ran straight to his potty, & 1 diaper (at nap time). Each time he went to the potty I praised him for asking to go. When he went #1 and #2 he would receive a little treat. We would also say “YAY! I DID IT!”, clap our hands, and jump around celebrating! He, now, thinks going potty is awesome, as do I, no more diapers. At the end of his day, he was asking to go on the potty because he really had to go! Very exciting for me and more importantly for him! Before he went to bed tonight he asked to go on the potty one last time and now he is fast asleep wearing his “Big Boy Underwear” thankfully he’s still dry!! I’m so proud! I most certianly can’t wait to see how tomorrow morning turns out!! Wish us luck! 🙂

-Charissa

Terrific Tuesday

First and foremost, I’d like to ask, how is everyone?

Although for some of you today may not be Tuesday anymore BUT it still is for me (gotta love Cali). My Tuesday has been great!! Work (although I didn’t get home til 7. we usually get off at 4) was pretty good and definitely no more stress as per Monday we are now a brand new company.

So, what’s new? Saturday I started to learn Photoshop and some photography techniques from a friend. The rest of Saturday and all of Sunday I played around with Photoshop. I’m happy with the outcome of my projects. Monday was just a long day, worked for 13 hours (at the office), came home got Peanut ready for bed, and went to bed myself. Now today, on the other hand, was AWESOME! I went to work (at the office, again!) at 10am. While at work I was able to work a little bit on my current crochet project, a mini top hat. I only needed to finish the last 3 rows and while at work today, I did!! 🙂

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful night tonight and a great day tomorrow.

~Charissa