Homemade Goodness

Honey---1. facial mask mixed with oats and sugar

2. Honey and 1 egg= hair protein mask 

Vitamin E--apply to skin after washing..lighten dark spots

Castor oil--great moisturizer...apply daily to scalp and sparingly to hair ends. Apply to lashes nightly to lengthen and grow back your lashes. 

 Olive oil--hair and skin moisturizer

Where have I been???

Almost 2 years since I've blogged...guess I've been "blogged down" by life. ***pardon the pun*** Where have I been, why haven't I written, what have I been doing since March 2013 (last blog)? I'll tell you what I've been doing.  I've been busy living life, making life happen, and also letting life happen to me, which I hate to admit.

Living the "Island Life" in the land down under--No, NOT AUSTRALIA! Nothing that glamorous, but Guam (Pacific islands)! A place I've lovingly nicknamed, "ghetto paradise". It's all a matter of perspective anyway, right? -it's all in how you see things, glass half empty or half full type of situation. You understand, right? Sort of like throwing on a pair of Chanel rose colored glasses and hoping a Chris Rock type of dude can morphe into Drake! Kind of like that....;)

But seriously, I've been busy, much like you all, trying to figure things out. Everything from family, career, finances and future----oh, and EVERYTHING in between: hair, fashion, beauty, culture---oh, and YOUTUBE! Did I mention I'm a newly natural (1 year naturalversary this month). That's a whole other subject to be blogged about later. For now, catching you up....

In all this "figuring out", I thought I'd start blogging (again)....as a therapy, an outlet, or a sanity check of sorts. Heck, it's either that or heavy drinking and I'm not really GOOD at that. Confession: wine does soothe the soul, but heavy drinking is never a good look, plus hangovers---"ain't NOBODY got time for THAT!" #justsaying

Until later, stay tuned!

Namaste, blessings, and fruitfulness,
Riva(diva--sometimes)

Just like PT.... ACV--"Good for you, good for me!"

               AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY...or, should I say ACV? 
                                        BENEFITS OF APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

As a result of being "called out" or "called to the carpet" for being delinquent on blogging by  1 1/4 years, I've been EXTRINSICALLY motivated to start again, health blogging that is.  With that said, in the words of Budweiser, "Edwin, this one's for you, Hun!"

Although I thought I'd posted a review on the benefits of ACV (apple cider vinegar) I can't locate it and have been inspired to repost because even though I may have touched in the skin regimine benefits of using it topically, I may have skipped the INTERNAL BENEFITS, especially when it comes to lowering BLOOD PRESSURE.

HOW TO USE:

1-Choose a raw apple cider vinegar that is cold-pressed, fermented, unpasteurized and made from organic apples. This will ensure it has the highest possible mineral content. Raw ACV is high in potassium, an electrolyte your body uses to conduct electricity through your body. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, low levels of potassium are linked with high blood pressure, but only if you are slightly potassium deficient. Talk to your doctor before adding any potassium supplement to treat high blood pressure.

Combine two tablespoons. of ACV with eight ounces of filtered water and drink three times daily. If the taste of ACV is too strong, you may add fresh lemon juice. If you prefer a warm drink, you can add ACV to hot water to make a tea. You may add a natural sweetener, such as honey, agave or stevia -- but make note of the extra calories, and avoid adding honey or agave if you have diabetes.

3-Add raw apple cider vinegar to condiments such as salad dressing and mustard to get more ACV into your daily diet. Try to take ACV before each meal, so that it aids in digestion, as well as lowers blood pressure.

FOR MORE USES AND AT HOME REMEDIES USING ACV, SEE: 

http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/home-remedies.html

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TUMMY TIME (cheap beauty tricks)

As some of you may know, oftentime I post "cheap beauty tricks or beauty on a budget" blogs recommending or making reviews about products I've researched or tried. So, here's my latest CHEAP BEAUTY TRICK recommending the use of a few of my favorite oils:

1. Coconut oil
2. Olive oil
3. Vitamin E oil

I'm 7 months pregnant and have been experiencing some SERIOUS itching sessions lately! (You all with kids know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.) I'd seen commercials advertising BIO OIL to relieve itchy skin and prevent or treat stretch marks and I was about to purchase this oil for appx $12 per 4oz bottle! (Expensive!) However, before I gave into the hype, I decided to research the above listed products which I'd been using on my hair for a few months to see if they'd also work on my skin to relieve this problem and keep my sanity. Guess what? THEY WORK ON SKIN ALSO!

You can mix these 3 items together to create your own lotion/oil which leaves your skin soft, suptle, and healed. Not sure if they'll actually "prevent" stretch marks or make them disappear but at this point, just NOT feeling like I'm going to tear a whole in my skin from scratching suits me just fine! Besides, that....it's cheap, it has multiple uses (skin and hair), and leave you with moisturized skin and hair-ALL NATURALLY!

I highly recommend you try Coconut Oil, as it has many beneficial uses AND you can even cook with it! Research it for yourself and tell me what you think.

Happy, healthy living....God bless!