I know it seems I’m a little obsessed with the chai tea stuff… this is an AWESOME recipe from Real Simple Magazine.

No matter what type of hair you have (curly, straight, wavy, etc) it’s VERY important to use a protective and nourishing styling aide after cleansing and conditioning. I have so many things to do in the mornings, I really don’t like to spend a great deal of time thinking about what I’m going to do with my hair. In the colder months, I cleanse and deep condition with my cordless heat cap once a week.  When the weather is warmer and I perspire more, I usually have to give my hair a thorough rinse followed with Phat Head Super Moisturizing Conditioner mid week.

After cleansing and conditioning, it takes me about 15 minutes to apply my styling products. I don’t mind taking this short amount of time to apply my leave in conditioner & moisturizer because I know I won’t have to do much else to my hair for the whole week. When hair is properly coated with protective, nourishing & moisturizing products it really “behaves” better.

If  you don’t apply an equal amount of any given styling product to ALL of your hair, the uncoated hair can look frizzy and dry, especially in comparison to the hairs that have been properly coated. As the days go by, the contrast between the adequately conditioned hair and the under or non conditioned hair is even more evident. In addition, unprotected or under protected hair is susceptible to dehydration and breakage.

When applying your styling & conditioning aides, remember: Less is more.  ALL of my Phat Head products are made without water, so they won’t evaporate. Contrary to popular belief, water is not a moisturizing ingredient: It evaporates too quickly to provide any long lasting moisturizing benefits. I use organic aloe vera juice in my Phat Head products because it is a gentle, safe and natural humectant that strengthens and fortifies the hair.

To ensure a proper and thorough distribution of styling products, I separate my hair into four sections. I secure the three sections that I’m not working on with a butterfly clip. I spray my hair with Phat Head No Knots Leave In Moisturizing Mist and then massage/finger comb it in to coat each hair. Next, I massage either Phat Head Organic Conditioning and Styling Oil, Phat Head Coconut Pudding with Silk Protein or Phat Head Silk Sheets Styling Lotion into the hair in that section.  This seals in the nourishing ingredients of the No Knots, adds additional nutrients and prevents moisture loss. Finally, I finger comb this section of hair, gripping the ends tightly to “squeeze in” an extra amount of moisture because this is where the hair is oldest and driest.  I repeat this with the remaining three sections.

If your hair is short, it’s not necessary to section it off, but make sure that you apply an equal amount of your styling product to all of your hair: Don’t just pass your hands over the top of your hair. Try this quick and effective method instead:  Mist all of your hair with Phat Head No Knots Leave In Moisture Mist, Phat Head Oil Free Daily Botanical Boost or Phat Head Daily Jojoba Moisturizing Mist. Next, rub a dollop of the appropriate styling aide into both palms. Spread your fingers and pass your palms over your entire head, massaging the product into the hair. Put a bit more cream, gel or pomade on your palm rub hands together  and then place your hands in the middle of your head, with the fingertips of each hand close to one another and thumbs near the back of your ears. Slowly, bring your hands down towards your back, massaging the styling product into your hair.  Next, using a bit more product on your palms, place your hands on top of your head with your fingertips facing behind you, pinkies next to one another, thumbs near your ears and wrists close to your forehead. Bring your hands down towards your ears, massaging the product into your hair as you go down. Finally, with your hands right at the hairline, index fingers towards each other, thumbs extended outward, near the front of your ears, pull your palms over your hairline, towards the back of your head, as though you were going to pull your hair into a ponytail. Voila!

This is also an ideal method for those with medium or long hair to apply pomade, pudding or conditioning oil to dry hair, as a touch up or refresher during the week. It won’t disturb your curl or wavy pattern, nor will it tangle your hair. For my mid week touch ups, I use Phat Head Organic Conditioning and Styling Oil or Phat Head Shea & Honey Pomade.

Take a little bit of time to properly apply your styling products: It will save you time and money because you won’t have to wet and restyle your hair every day. Give it a try and let me know the results!

This is a recipe I adapted from “Real Simple” Magazine &  Food TV:

Chai Tea (8 cups):  Recipe can be halved or quartered

*  1 tablespoon fennel seed
* 6 green cardamom pods
* 12 whole cloves
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1 (1/4-inch) piece ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
* 6-8 black peppercorns
* 7 cups water
* 2 tablespoons Darjeeling tea
* 4 tablespoons brown sugar or 3 tablespoons white sugar
* 1 cup cows milk (or soy, rice, light cream)

In a mortar & pestle, lightly crush fennel seed, cardamom, cloves and peppercorns. Place in a medium sized sauce pan along with cinnamon stick,  ginger root and water. Bring to a boil and then simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Open tea bag, add loose tea, milk and sugar to the water. Reduce the heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Strain mixture and serve immediately.

I’m still experimenting with Chai recipes, so I will post a few more, I’m sure!

I have always liked working out with free weights in favor of machines. I prefer barbells and dumbbells because they allow me to do a wide variety of exercises with a minimal amount of equipment.

I have a workout bench that has an adjustable seat (for bench presses and other seated exercises) as well as a squat rack and an attachment that allows me to do leg extensions and hamstring curls. I have to fit my workout into one hour, so I exercise two body parts a day. I do exercises for each body part twice a week because this allows a sufficient amount of time in between each workout for the muscle group to fully recuperate.  I should mention, there are some muscle groups that don’t require a long period of time for recuperation. The abdominals are one of these muscle groups. The calves and forearms are two other muscle groups that recover relatively quickly.

I monitor each workout with my heart rate monitor to ensure that I keep my heart rate in its target zone for at least 35 minutes.  Whenever possible, I combine exercises for two different muscle groups in the same set, without pausing in between exercises. Instead, I complete the two (or three, as is the case when I do squats, calf raises and side laterals) separate exercises and then pause for about 30 seconds before beginning the next set.  This helps get and keep my heart rate up AND it saves time. It’s a win-win for me, as I just LOVE multitasking!!!

This is my current workout routine:

Mondays and Thursdays:

Legs and Shoulders (4 sets each)

Leg Extensions + Dumbbells Shoulder Presses

Squats followed by Calf Raises followed by Bent Arm Side Laterals for Shoulders (3 diff muscle groups)

Stiff Legged Dead Lifts + Barbell Upright Row

Leg Curls + Rear Shoulder Raises

Midsection*

20-30 minutes on elliptical or stationary bike

3 minutes of stretching

Tuesdays and Fridays

Chest & Triceps

Flat Bench Dumbbell Presses + Dumbbell Tricep Presses

Incline Chest Flyes + “Scarecrow” Tricep Extensions or Tricep Kickbacks

Dumbbell Pullovers + Bench Tricep Dips

Midsection*

20-30 minutes on elliptical or stationary bike

3 minutes of stretching

Wednesdays and Saturdays

Back & Biceps (my back and biceps respond very quickly strength building exercises, so I only do two exercises for each muscle group)

Bent Over E-Z Curl Back Rows + Bicep Curls (with E-Z Curl Bar)

One Arm Dumbbell Rows + Dumbbell Bicep Hammer Curls

Midsection*

20-30 minutes on elliptical or stationary bike

3 minutes of stretching

*Midsection (1 set each, as many as I can do)

• Leg Raises, bringing my feet over my head and then returning them down almost all the way
• Side Bends with Over Head Dumbbell presses with legs wide, knees slightly bent
• Full Sit Ups on an incline board

After I am finished on the bike or elliptical and right before I stretch, I usually apply one of my Pore Me Masques : it’s that multitasking thing again! My pores are quite “receptive” to whatever ingredients are in the “masque of the day” because I perspire a lot, so my pores are “open”.  I allow the masque to set as I’m stretching and preparing to get into the shower.

If you are interested in exercising with free weights at home, but don’t want to get a lot of equipment, you can get a VERY good workout with just a pair of adjustable dumbbells. If you’d like for me to give you a workout that only requires dumbbells, please post your request and I will post an AWESOME workout for you here!

I’m happy (and kind of proud) to say that my son and husband are brilliant men.  I really like listening to them discuss science documentaries or historical events at dinner.  I should say, though, dinner conversations can also be centered on our family’s plan for survival if zombies, vampires or vampire zombies, take over the world (or New Jersey).  I feel pretty confident in saying that should either scenario occur the Garcia family is well prepared.

When my husband and I first met, he had just finished reading “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” and decided to start reading the poetry of Langston Hughes and James Baldwin.   His interesting taste in literature was just one of the things that piqued my curiosity about him.  He gave me his copy of “The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes” and half way through my very first book of poetry, I found myself falling in love with my future husband.

Johnny has been an avid fan of books since he was very, very young.  Every night, Cas and I took turns reading him a bedtime story, a tradition that began when he was just 4 days old with Dr Seuss’ “One Fish, Two Fish”.  When he learned how to read on his own, his hunger for books was insatiable!  I remember how excited he’d get about going to the library with Cas to hand in books and pick up a stack of new ones.  When he was in the second or third grade, he told Cas and me that books are so much better than TV because “you get to see everything in your own brain and you can make it look any way you want!”  He’s almost 19 years old now and he still enjoys a good book.  His taste in literature is a little more discerning than mine, although he, too, enjoys a well written vampire book. The key words there are “well written”.

I’ve been on a vampire book craze for the last… year??  WOW! Yes, I do believe it’ been a year!  I kind of burned myself out, having just completed the last book of yet another series.  After only a few chapters, I found myself skipping multiple pages just to get to the (very predictable) ending.  I needed something to read, so I was going through my stack of books on Friday and I saw “The Odyssey” by Homer. I’d read it in High School and again in college. I’m pretty sure this copy is the one I bought in college, because the price printed on the cover is $2.95. I had begun reading it again close to two years ago, but for some reason, I stopped 1/3 of the way through. I am SO glad I decided to pick it up again. It is quite possibly one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read!

Unlike my vampire books, I have no desire to skip a sentence, paragraph or page.  The author sometimes takes 3 pages to describe a meal, but each and every word serves a purpose.  I’m going to read “The Iliad” next… I think I cheated in HS and read the Cliff Notes!!  It’s great to revisit these books as an adult!  After I’ve had my fill of the Trojan War, I’m going to get reacquainted with good old Billy Shakespeare.

I enjoy the feel of paper and turning the pages of a book, which is why I will most likely never get a Kindle. I can’t say this with any degree of certainty because in 2006, I clearly remember saying I’d NEVER trade in my portable CD player for an MP3…

I LOVE READING!!!!!!

I caught a really bad cold about 2 weeks ago. It’s been a very long time since any member of the Garcia Family has been sick (knock on wood) but about a month ago, my “baby boy” came home with a sore throat and runny nose. Thankfully, his cold bug came and went pretty quickly: Cas and I were not so lucky.

My husband got started feeling sick about 4 days before me and then one morning, I woke up with a SUPER dry throat.  I wake up at the same time every day and I can literally remember getting sick.  The dryness in my throat could not be quenched, even after I guzzled down a quart of water.  I had been awake for about an hour and suddenly, my neck felt super sore. I ignored the soreness and kept on typing.  Less than an hour after I noticed the soreness, my nose started running even though my sinuses felt full and I couldn’t smell anything.

By the time the sun came up, I was coughing, achy and feeling freakishly cold. I thought a good sweat would get rid of whatever was in my system, so I got on my stationary bike. Ten minutes later, I got off the bike because my legs were too sore to pedal. As the days passed, my symptoms got worse and I had a hacking cough, stuffed AND runny nose, fever, chills, aches and pains.  My doctor told me I had a viral infection, so antibiotics wouldn’t help. UGH!!!

My temperature was zig zagging all over the place, so my usual sound and restful sleep was really interrupted.  I didn’t have much of an appetite either.  With little sleep and hardly any food, I had almost no energy.  I pretty much watched TV, napped and read for about 5 days.  I continued to go to and get out of bed at the same time.  Every day, after being out of bed for about 3 or 4 hours, I just had to lie down and take a nap. It wasn’t fun at all, man!

I did all the things that I absolutely had to do, but I lacked the energy for anything more than that. Working out was out of the question.  Nearly 3 weeks later, my husband and I still have a slight cough and runny nose.  In comparison to how I felt a couple of weeks ago, though, I feel GREAT.  I have been riding my bike for about 35 minutes every morning and starting on Monday, I will resume my regular workout again. Since it has been nearly 3 full weeks since my last “real” workout, I’m going to take things slower.  I’ll use lighter weights and allow for a little extra resting time in between sets.

It’s frighteningly easy to put off working out for “tomorrow”, even when you’re not sick.  It’s also easy to eat a larger piece of cake or another few cookies with the idea that you’ll “work it off tomorrow”.  I’ve noticed that as I get older, my strength and stamina can significantly decrease if I skip or skimp on exercise.  This is actually the first time I have admitted this to myself, so I guess this is sort of a confession!! If you broke or deviated from a New Years resolution to get back in shape or begin a regular workout program, please tell me about it!

I’m going to post my workout routine tomorrow morning, so maybe you can use it as a blueprint for your own fitness regimen.  If you find that my workout if not your thing, I have a 45 minute Workout DVD that you can use 3 or 4 times a week.  If you’d like something more personalized, please go to my Turn Over a New Leaf 30 Day Fitness Challenge Blog entries and follow the tips for each day: At the end of the one month period, you will be able to construct your own workout routine & eating plan. I hope to hear from you… don’t be shy!

A few days ago, one of our lovely customers asked me for tips on caring for braided hair and dreadlocks. I have never had dreads, but I believe that they can be cared for in the same way one would care for braids.

I wore my hair in box braid extensions for a long time: Off and on from 1990 through 2005.  I have NEVER liked wearing any hair style that required a lot of time every day.  Maybe this dates back to memories of childhood, when my mother would have to comb and brush my long, thick, virgin afro textured hair. I wasn’t what we used to call “tender headed”, but my mother had very little patience. When she encountered a knot or tangle, I braced myself and tried to keep my head still. If I flinched or (worse) pulled my head away, I got whacked in the head with the wooden brush. Ouch. In my mother’s defense, she did take very good care of my hair. Every week, she would unbraid it, shampoo and condition it. She usually used a cream rinse and a creamy leave in called “Liv” before corn rowing or braiding it (I just googled “Liv” and I was surprised to see it still exists!)  I always slept with a scarf on my head and my mom would “grease” my scalp every 3 or four days with Afro Sheen or Ultra Sheen.  I still remember the commercials for these on “Soul Train”…

When I wore my hair in box braid extensions, I would get it rebraided every 4 or 5 months. My AWESOME husband had the job of unbraiding my hair. As the years went on, he had his technique down to a fine art! Not only did he unbraid it, but he gently combed through the knots and untangled it.  I learned the hard way that you should NEVER go to the braiding salon without untangling your hair first. If I thought my mother was a tough cookie regarding knots and tangles… man, oh, man… The braiders at the salon I went to in Harlem did not mess around! They were extremely polite, efficient and fast… but I was super grateful that my husband took care of the tangles before my appointment. They did not approach knots with the same gentle hand (my scalp and forehead hurt just thinking about it).

I wore synthetic hair when I got my hair braided. It was the perfect choice for me because it protected my own hair and lasted a long time without looking fuzzy. The night before I’d go to get my hair braided, after my husband unbraided my hair, I would shampoo and then do a deep conditioning treatment.  I would also comb daily conditioner through my hair and leave it in, to help protect my hair for the next few months.

I kept my own hair well nourished and clean while it was braided. Every Saturday, I would squeeze some shampoo into my palm and then, with my finger, I’d apply the shampoo to the scalp that was exposed in between each braid. In the shower, with my back to the water, I would lean back and let the water thoroughly saturate my hair and scalp. After a few minutes, I’d place my hands on my head and massage my scalp to work up lather.  Then, facing the water, I would pull the lather down and over my braids and kind of “pat” it in.  Finally, I would lean forward, still facing the water, and flip my braids up and over my head and allow the water to rinse away all the lather. I’d continue to rinse until the water ran clear. Before getting out, I’d gather my braids together and gently squeeze out as much excess water as I could.

When I got out of the shower, I’d wrap a beach towel around my braids to soak up the water and then, I’d let my braids hang down. I applied a cholesterol “deep conditioner” or olive oil to my scalp, the same way I applied the shampoo.  I would also apply the conditioner half way down my braids: I wanted it to reach my own hair that was mixed in with the synthetic hair. I would then put on a conditioning cap and heat cap and heat my hair for about half an hour.  I’d usually give myself a pedicure as I heated my hair: This was many, many years before the discovery of my cordless heat cap!

Since my toes were usually freshly polished, I would rinse my deep conditioner or olive oil out in the kitchen sink. After that, I’d wrap my hair in a beach towel again and then after it was dry (a few hours or the next day) would spray my scalp with a leave in or apply a conditioning gel.

If you are wearing braid extensions, it’s very important to keep your scalp clean. The area where the braid touches your scalp can get caked with dust, and dead skin.  You also want to keep your roots strong because of the additional weight of the synthetic hair. If weekly deep conditioning is not possible, be sure to use a daily conditioner after shampooing. You really should deep condition your hair and braids at least once a month, though. Deep conditioning becomes even more important if your hair is relaxed, because the point where the relaxed hair ends and your virgin hair begins is extremely fragile: The added weight of the synthetic hair can also cause stress at this line of demarcation.

For braided or corn rowed hair, I would suggest Phat Head Super Moisturizing Sulphate Free Shampoo and either Phat Head Creamy Coconut Oil Oil Treatment or Phat Head High On Coconut Deep Conditioner for weekly care. For daily moisture and conditioning, I suggest Phat Head Daily Jojoba Mist. Phat Head Coconut Pudding with Silk Protein is IDEAL for use on freshly shampooed hair and perhaps at the middle of the week, in between cleansing and deep conditioning. Another good choice for post cleansing would be Phat Head Organic Conditioning & Styling Oil. Just remember not to over do it, so you don’t get any buildup at the base of the braid.

If you’re lucky enough to have someone to help you unbraid your hair, PLEASE enlist their help!  You may be able to unbraid and untangle the front of your hair, but you can’t really see the back, so having a helping hand will save you a lot of time and HIAR!  You want to be able to see the hair that you’re untangling so that you don’t end up yanking it out as you attempt to untangle it.  Misting tangles with a little warm water and olive oil will prove to be very helpful: The combination will make the tangle easy to loosen with your fingers. Just spray the knot, wait a few seconds and then rub it in between your thumb and forefinger.  The tail of a rat tail comb is also an invaluable tool for detangling.

If YOU have any suggestions, tips, etc about braids and or dreads, please share!  I am thinking about doing some two stranded twists in my hair next weekend. If I do, I will ask Cas to film me and then I’ll blog about it.

All day yesterday, there were news briefs about the BIG, HUGE snow storm that was a comin’. It was supposed to start at 6:30 PM. I went to bed at 9 and there wasn’t a flake to be seen. I had got up about half an hour ago and I saw some light snow falling… I wonder how big it will be?

Our outdoor cat, Buddy, FREAKS out when it snows. Poor girl (Yes, Buddy is a girl). Her little house is on our deck, with a window right up against the sliding door in our kitchen, so she can see us while she’s inside her little home.  Isn’t she GORGEOUS???? She was born in our compost pile, all the way in the back of our yard, the first summer after we bought our house. She took a real liking to Cas.  She was fascinated by him. I think she had a crush on my husband!!!

Whenever he was working in the backyard, she’d sit and watch him.  Each day, she’d come just a little closer, to get a better look. So, we started bribing her  with bits of chicken and she quickly became our friend. Her 2 siblings were TERRIFIED of us. We never saw much of them and after the first summer ended, they went else where.

She came indoors for a very brief period, but she’s feral through and through, so she never really settled in.  She was inside long enough for us to take her to the vet where we got her neutered and inoculated. But, she’d always try to “make a run for it” whenever we went out onto the deck.  Then, one evening, on the coldest day of the year, she ran out. We tried to get her to come back in, but she wouldn’t.  The next day, we made her a make-shift house out of an empty litter bucket and some of that pink insulation: We encased it all in a heavy duty garbage bag so it would be warm and waterproof .  It worked pretty good…  kept her warm and semi dry.

The following year (1999 I think), we bought her a real cat house.  It’s fabulous! The “porch” keeps wind and rain out and it has windows on three sides. We got a heated outdoor pet-pad that operates on very little electricity. It only generates heat when she lays on it. How cool is THAT?

For the brief time she was inside, we could NEVER get too close to her. When she’s outside, though, we can pet her, rub her back, scratch her ears… She runs inside sometimes and hangs out for a bit, but she LOVES being outside. It’s in her blood.

I’m gonna go check on that snow…

Well, it’s early morning and I am hanging out with Mugsy, the youngest (and loudest) of our cats. I stepped outside because I saw a pair of green eyes lurking in the backyard, near “Fort Johnny” (a combination “fort”, swing, slide, robe-climbing thingy that Cas built for our son when we first bought our house in 1997).  I thought the eyes belonged to Buddy, but nooooo. It’s The Evil Opossum!!!  To be fair, he is a nocturnal creature and the sun is not yet up, so I’ll let him be.

I love this time of day.  I’m getting ready to make a bucket of foot scrub, prepare some orders and then I’ll work out.  Maybe.  I got a pretty nasty headache a few days ago. Instead of just resting, I tried to do the “mind over matter” thing. You know? Ignore it and maybe it’ll go away. I should have just rested when it first struck, but I didn’t.  Now, my body is SCREAMING at me, telling me to chill out and I am gonna listen to it…. after I make some foot scrub, of course. And some body butter…

Yesterday, I got out of the shower and reached for my geranium Silk Sheets Body Butter… only to find an EMPTY JAR! I guess I’ll have to order a refill, huh?  Before I started making my own products, my son and husband weren’t interested in any of my various jars of creams, scrubs, etc. that filled our bathroom.  But, it didn’t take long for them to learn what joy a little sugar scrub can bring to a morning shower! I LOVE hearing their individual regimens and no-holds barred reviews.  Do the men in your life use your skin and hair care products? If so, what do they use?

Cas and Johnny both LOVE Phat Head Clarifying Conditioner.  Johnny has been using it for a couple of months now. Cas, however,  just “discovered” it yesterday and when I asked why he liked it, he thought about it for a few seconds and then said “Well… it’s all… black”.  Now, how cute is THAT?I love that man!

I’d forgotten how much I enjoy baking!  These are the cranberry orange scones:

This is a closeup:

The REAL trick, I learned from Cooks Illustrated, is to stick those bad boys in the freezer for half an hour before putting them in the oven.  You also don’t want to over work the dough. I like the triangle shaped ones the best because I can dunk them into my tea.