Farewell 2017| Memorable Moments

So, we're at the end of 2017. We can take this book, close it, wrap it in plastic wrap and put it under the bed behind that box of notes that we're holding onto from years ago but don't want to toss because we don't want anyone to have access to this information in them.





Aside from some of the more trivial and disappointing moments in 2017, I'd like to again share my most memorable moments of 2017: 

The Evolution of Baby Girl Button
Button is 2 and this was the year of her coming [somewhat] into her own. It has been interesting watching her learn, explore and observe. Along with that, watching her personality develop. 
Parenthood is not an easy hood to live in (I knew this well before the thought even crossed my mind to be one) but watching and helping a little human grow and being able to assist them in the process gives some assurance that it is working.

Reclaiming Confidence
In my 30s, I have become more and more socially awkward; not wanting to be around people or wanting to be around people but not knowing how to contribute to the atmosphere socially which makes me [again]  not want to be around people. I have been struggling with this and I'm not sure what happened but I believe it is due to lack of self confidence. 
Not sure the cause however, I have done a few things in attempts to help with this including taking baby steps to put myself back out there and it has helped to rebuild myself in a way.

Job Transition
After 10yrs in the same profession, I was given an opportunity move to another company. Even though I was getting to the point of "oh, I'm comfortable where I am", I put in my 2 weeks notice. I have been with the new company for 9 months and it is refreshing learn new skills, being given the ability to assist in development and 

What are some of your memorable moments from 2017 and what are you looking forward to in 2018?

Pick 6| Summer 2017

So, I guess Fall is finally in full swing because honey... There is a chill in the air. Welp! With that being said, let's jump into my Summer favorites.

Hair & Skin| Water
I have made my routine simple over the years because my hair likes what it likes so, you'll see I have posted about water before but hey, we're made of water and we thrive from it so....yeah. I still spritz my hair with water before applying product to assist with moisture. Adding water before products helps with the softness of my hair. 






Fashion| Faux Locs
Beauty bounces back to hair. I took a chance twice on faux locs and... ABSOLUTELY LOVED THEM! As much as I love locs, I'm scared of this permanent style but wanted to see how I'd look with them. So, this is a new style in my arsenal.







Beauty| Coconut Oil
I love coconut oil: cook with it, mix it in DIY body scrubs as well as hair and body pomades. Now, I've started using it for makeup removal. I don't wear a lot of makeup currently as I'm trying to take better care of my skin but I still fill in my browns and wear mascara. My mascara is hard to remove so applying coconut oil nourishes my skin and removes product easily.

Accessories| Fitbit Flex
My fitbit flex is an accessory I attempt to wear everyday (other than my ring). I keep it on to see if I can beat my personal best day-to-day/week-to-week. Even though it is an older model, I keep it fresh/new for me with difference bands

Random|Space Saver Bag
With the transition to cooler weather most people rotate their wardrobe... I haven't done this yet however, something that makes it easy it to switch out clothes in my closet is moving them into space saver bags and sliding them under our bed. I use these bags for clothes, linens and scarfs. Since I haven't rotated my wardrobe, I simply open the bags and pull out what is needed and put them back under the bed.



What were your Summer Faves?

Dollar Tree Mini Haul

Hello folks! Back to share some of my recent Dollar Tree finds...

Microfiber Towel| I like to keep these on hand in my car and in the little ones travel bag to help with messes. In my opinion, these feel nice as well as clean and dry easily. 

2.5 Gallon Freezer Bags| I use these large bags to sort and store away the little ones clothes season to season, pack away clothes and items that we give away. I also used these large bags for a DIY sensory mat a year ago (click >>>here<<< to view that project).

Storage Containers| I randomly have started buying these 2 at for store under our bathroom sinks, bedrooms and anywhere else that little hands may roam. There aren't as durable as I'd like (ie: clearly not from The Container Store) but they serve their purpose. 










Labels| These sticky office labels are cute and I use them on my desk for reminders. I prefer handwritten reminders over digital ones that can be setup through email or on mobile devices so I was super excited when I spotted these. 

Decorative Stickers| I have shared some of these before from a previous blog post and I have gotten in the habit of looking for different stickers when shop. I'm still working on our family photo album these will be a nice addition.







Bubbles| I have stocked up on bubbles for Button because like most kids, she gets a kick out of them and DT has some cute character themes bubble bottles. 

Candles| Now...It is a rare occurrence that I purchase candles from DT because quite frankly, majority of the scented candles stink to me unless they are cinnamon, peppermint or something along the lines of a basic scent. I saw these rose water candles and purchased two to burn when I'm having my "day at the spa" in our bathroom. Haven't burned them yet but the scent is soft and refreshing.




Bolero Beverly Hills Products| These are some older items however, I am just getting around to finishing some of them up. I saw people on YouTube buying the brand up at their local Dollar Tree and most of them raved about how well the products work. One thing I like about the products is the packaging. It's cute!

Argan & Shea Butter Body Cream
& Face Wipes

Coconut Milk & Honey Fizzer

Lemon Verbena & Mint Body Oil & Body Cream 

The products weren't anything to rave about in my opinion. The body oil has mineral oil in it soooooo... you could make it yourself and make it with more natural and nourishing oils.Same goes for the body creams; they served their purpose somewhat however, aren't that moisturizing for troublesome skin. I used the face wipes to remove my mascara and as a quick face refresher after a workout.

What are some items you have purchased from Dollar Tree?

My World| Friday Focus

In moments of chaos, we  sometimes lose focus on what is going right. 

Negativity can swallow all that is good and lead to you think there is no hope. I can admit that this is something that happens a lot with me so in moments of chaos, I first educate myself on what is going on, then take some time to disconnect from it to to remember the blessings that are present.

Whether it is what is going right in the world,  your community or personal life, take the time out to focus on THE GOOD. Try not to let the bad fester within you:

• Journal
• Listen to music
• Meditate
• Read

Whatever it takes! Finds an outlet and try your best to refocus on THE GOOD. 

What do you do to bring yourself back to THE GOOD that is going on around you?

Photo-A-Day Challenge| July 2017

Hey hey!

Want another way to document your summer? Come join Ms Naturally Random, myself and others on Instagram while using and following the hashtag

#CRPhotoADay

We are 10 days in on our photo challenge but there is plenty of time to join us.

Want to follow us on The Gram?:

@MsNaturallyRandom

@Creatively_Coiled

Hope to see you and how you spend your Summer!

Pick 6| Spring 2017

Hello Folks and Happy Summer to you! 

Hope your Summer is full of refreshing drinks, poolside reading, coastal views and grilled delights. 

Before we get too far into Summer, let me share what I enjoyed this past Spring!

Hair| Twisted Crown
This Spring has been a hit or miss with the weather; some days are comfortable and other days have been so muggy you can barely stand it #NCWeather. On those days where it is too hot to rock the puff and I want my scalp to get a little exposure, I wear two simple FAT twist that look like a lovely crown. 







Fashion| Tie Dye
So, for the March of Dimes walk our team was uniformed in DIY purple tie dye shirts. I have since been wearing my shirt just about every week and have been making plans to dye more shirts and more colors (may I'll share here on the blog).










Beauty|Kenneth Cole BLACK body spray for her
Made this purchase from Ross while on a hunt for bathroom decor. The fragrance is a fresh, out of the shower fragrance and I love to splash on on my down days. Of course, with this being a body spray it does not last so but I enjoy using it when I'm not looking to have a long lasting lingering smell throughout the day.







Skin|Cotton Rounds
Simple pack of (30?) cotton rounds that come in handy when applying astringents, toners and even nail polish remover. Since I've switched up my skin care regimen, I've been purch






Accessories|Necklaces
In my attempt to get back to jazzing up my attire to get back to the semi-fashionable person i once was, I have reintroduced my necklaces into my wardrobe. I have many and for a while they were decoration on our bedroom wall.

                                     





Random|Out doors
With the little ones love of the outdoors, we spent a lot of time outside enjoying nature (but being mindful of mosquitoes). I've take the time we spend outside to take her on short walks, attempt to plant flowers and veggies, exercise and just blow bubbles.





What were you enjoying this Spring?

Motivation Monday| Social Media

We know social media drives a lot of lives; whether it be yours or people you know. Lot of us take time out of our day to stroll down timelines on Facebook, view the visual art that is Instagram, catch up on what is happening now on Twitter, watch reality on Snapchat or whatever other sites you have access to. 

In a small attempt to keep a positive flow of energy going, I use some of these outlets to post quotes from empowering, motivation and memorable people. 

I'm not a big fan of constantly posting on social media however, thanks to Snapchat and [the shady but cool feature that is] Insta-Snap (or whatever it is called) I post there:

Insta handle - creatively_coiled

What are your favorite types of post on social media?

Ancestry| Tracking Our Lineage

A few years ago, my sister and I talked about tracking our family tree and lineage. While the thought was awesome, it was difficult knowing where to start. With the bit of research we were able to do then, we found a few names and following names, tracked our lineage back to Nigeria. But other than that, we found limited information on our family (ie: names, US location, etc.)

2017 lit a fire under my sister again to start researching; looking at county census and speaking with our parents and grandmother to obtain and confirm information. My sister really hit gold with finding family signatures and tracking children she was able to trace our family back to the early 1800's... Which is more than what we recovered previously.

While confirming names with relatives, we also decided to take an ancestry.com DNA analysis: This requires a saliva sample that is sent off for analysis to identify the region(s) your ancestry is strongest in. 

Well, we received the results in April and discovered that we [of course] are of African decent (87%):

• 45% - Ivory Coast/Ghana
• 21% - Cameroon/Congo
• 8% - Nigeria

We also discovered that of the information reported so far, our family has not ventured too far from the East Coast of the US (NC, VA, DC, MD, VA, NY). This helped us confirm some family members by location to confirm that what my sister previously uncovered were the right records. 

So we know that our lineage is strong in West Africa which means that we were on the right track a few years ago when looking but gives much more than what we were able to find. 

Things to know about DNA analysis: 

• The results may vary from test to test - We used Ancestry DNA however, if we were to take another from a different service it is possible that the result will be different
• Siblings can carry different numbers - Siblings carry a difference percentage of DNA from both parents so your siblings results will of course be different from yours. We only sent in one sample may do it again to compare the results.

Are you tracking your family tree or thought about it? Have you submitted a DNA analysis to any sites? 

Let me know!

Flashback Friday| March For Babies walk 2016

Happy Friday!

Thank you again to everyone that donated, shared the links via social media and those that even took the time to look up March of Dimes and their cause. 

I have been a supporter of March of Dimes since my undergrad years and I plan to continue to support this organization as it helped my family out when we weren't sure of the next steps we needed to take and how to cope with the what was going one while our little one was in NICU. 

Last year we had a blast at the walk; congregating with our team, sharing stories and evening meeting up with one of our little ones nurses who came out to support the cause: 

Tomorrow we are in for year 2 and I'm excited!

Want to know more about March of Dimes and how you can support?

                        ♡♡♡CLICK HERE♡♡♡

Flashback Friday| Then & Now

Happy Friday!

Sharing photos from Easter past and present of my little lady. 

PROGRESS IS EVERYTHING!!

2016 to 2017

Little-miss-ma'am is a busy body and will probably be walking alongside us in the March for Babies walk next Saturday.

Want to know more about her story and how you can help families and premature little ones?

♡CLICK HERE♡

#WalkForButton 

#MotivationalMonday

Happy Monday!

From what I hear, Monday is not a favorite day of the week for most people; it kicks off the start of yet another work week and reminds us that the weekend has once again left us. AND I GET IT! Mondays are seen as the uninvited visitor at your house.

I however, like to try the view it more from a "cup half full" standpoint; It is the start of another work week which means...WE'VE MADE IT THROUGH ANOTHER WEEK... Which gets us through a month...and through a year!

No, I know some people are side-eyeing me like "girl, save that noise" but hear me out:

Mondays is a chance to reset and conquer or attempt to conquer another week.

With that being said, I want to share a mantra that I recently found while scrolling on Pinterest via www.curvyyoga.com ...

It has easily become one of my favorites because I'm all for spreading positive energy around to any and everyone who may need it. 

What is one of your favorite quotes that help to exude positive energy?

Humble Beginnings...

I can look back and smile at the progress that Button has made.

I shared last year the story of our little lady coming into this world at 24 weeks and 6 days and how it was a trying time for my husband and I.

Those days seem so long ago as Button is almost 2! I sometimes look back at trinkets and pictures from her younger months and sit in disbelief because she is doing so well physically and mentally (Praise him!).

With help from the man upstairs as well as the hospital staff at Duke ICN, TCN and March of Dimes we can look back on her humble beginning and smile.



Want to know more about premature birth and how you can help support babies and families?

♡♡♡♡CLICK HERE♡♡♡♡

Dollar Tree Mini Haul

Hey hey! 

I have a new [somewhat still] new love for Dollar Tree and would like to share of the items that I have purchased over the months so....Let's jump into my: 

L.A. COLORS| Color Balm

I shared these balms in my Pick 6 For Fall, They are dups of Baby Lips by Maybelline. I purchased both to see which one looks better on my skin tone and I do prefer the color Ka-Pow (balm to the left). The color payoff is nice considering it is $1 and you can kind of customize how sheer you'd like to color: For a sheerer look, I put a regular/clear moisturizer on before applying the L.A. COLORS balm. 

Sassy+Chic| Nail Stickers

I have yet to use them so fingers crossed that they work just as well as the Essie ones that I found in here before. I really like the different designs that are offered so much that I used them a stocking stuffer for Christmas.

OPI| Nail Lacquer

Yes! DT had the nerve to sell opi polishes!!!! I tried to purchase as many as I could because they also were used as gifts to friends, family and co-workers. The 3 colors that I tracked in Dollar Tree were: Rollin' In Cashmere (left), Next Stop...The Bikini  Zone (middle) and I Carol About You (right)

Women's Fashion Socks

In my opinion, you can't beat socks for $1. I think this is a good buy due to the different patterns also. 

Stickers

I have been collecting a couple sheets of stickers to continue working on our family photo album(s). 

Kraft Paper| Lables

I feel like you can never have too many labels. Especially when you have storage containers to rotate out items like decorations and tools. They also come in handy in the kitchen for cooking and/or baking ingredients. 

ClipClicks| Color Ink Pens (8ct)

This was also a good deal in my opinion; 8 pens... all different colors... for 1 buck! I like using them to signs and decorate greeting cards and to use when taking notes (sometimes I enjoy color coding my notes). I have purchased so many packs to keep on standby and to give to people.

Coffee Cups

Another items that I used and gifted are these coffee cups (a knock off version of k-cups). I really like the simplicity of the packaging and it doesn't taste too bad either

What interesting items have you spotted at your local DT?