Asian Inspired Chicken Lettuce Wraps | #FitnessFriday

I love me some rice. I used to eat rice 2-3 times a week in various forms. Red rice, brown rice, yellow rice, white rice... You name it---I love that ish. But when did rice start to have so many calories! Smh. Global warming ruins ERRYYTTHHIINNGGG!

You see, I started tracking my calories (yes...I'm still doing it! #fistbump) and actually measuring out my food. When I saw that my rice side dish was over 200 calories alone---I realized that it was time to scale it back a notch. Plus---I kinda have no will power. Just a little bit of rice just ain't enough...

So, I've changed all of my staple rice dishes into lettuce wraps! <insert drooling emoticon>

Last week, I whipped up these delish Asian Inspired Chicken Lettuce Wraps! The ingredients are pretty straight forward, the execution is beyond easy. The best part? My kids gobble these down like rabbits. Yeppers---this recipe is a keeper.

Am I giving up rice all together?

Girl, heck no!

Happy #FitnessFriday chicas! What's new on your menu this summer?

Besitos!
KLP

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[Hairstyle] Braided Fringe Twistout | The #WashDayExperience

I got pretty lazy after last week's #washdayexperience. I wore my hair knotted for a day or two, then co-washed and left it in a high curly bun.

I just knew that I was cute! And my wash and go bun was huge BUT... I didn't touch it for several days. I didn't moisturize. I didn't seal. I didn't even cover my hair at night (thank goodness for silk pillowcases tho!) By the time that today's #washdayexperience rolled around---my hair was a tangled mess. Hmm...now I see why folks with tight curls like mine complain.... *hangs head*

Obviously co-washing + no leave-ins + not touching my hair for several days = dry knotted tangled hair. Fingers crossed that I've actually learned my lesson and won't pull that stunt again...fingers crossed...

So, I stopped being wack and went back to my usual regimen.  Here's what I used:

Pre-Shampoo- Joico K-Pak Revitalisant Conditioner (strengthening treatment)
Shampoo- Joico K-Pak Shampoo
Clay Mask: Aztec Healing Bentonite Clay (+ Apple Cider Vinegar & Aloe Vera Juice)
Deep Condition: Jessicurl Deep Treatment + Almond Oil
Leave ins: Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner + DIY Hair Butter + Camille Rose Curl Maker
 
The Results:
I started with a protein pre-poo using Joico K-Pak Revitalisant Conditioner. For my hair, I consider this conditioner to be a medium to light protein treatment. I love the way that my curls absorb the conditioner and instantly behave! I left the pre-poo in for about an hour or so. Then I hopped in the shower, rinsed the conditioner and shampooed with the accompanying Joico K-Pak Shampoo in sections. I don't love this shampoo. Real talk, I don't love many shampoos. But it's great for getting my hair squeaky clean and I know that I needed that fresh start.

I let a cotton t-shit absorb most of the water then I applied my bentonite clay mask. (You can check out my step by step application process here). I covered my hair with a plastic cap and knit beanie then let the treatment sit for about an hour.

As I rinsed the clay, my curls much much better. But I felt like I still needed moisture, so I applied Jessicurl Deep Treatment and a little almond oil to seal, then pulled my hair into a giant high puff. I didn't cover it---I just kinda let the conditioner absorb into my strands. After about 2 hours---the conditioner completely disappeared and my cute springy curls came back!

Once my hair was slightly damp (I used a cotton t-shirt to absorb most of the water from rinsing the deep conditioner), I applied a few drops of Almond Oil. Then I applied my leave-ins (Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner and my DIY Hair Butter in sections. Next, I installed a bunch of medium sized two strand twists and added a dab of Camille Rose Curl Maker to the ends.

It's 99 degrees here at the beach so there was no way that I was gonna have all my hair in my face. So I quickly braided my bangs aka fringe, used a few hair pins to secure it and went on my way!

Back into a puff it goes tomorrow, but until then I'm whippin my hair all around!

How was your #washdayexperience chica?

Besitos!
KLP

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[Hairstyle] Elegant Low Knotted Updo | The #WashDayExperience

The only thing about my relaxed/texlaxed hair that I miss is the length. Even after my first big chop---my hair was at a length were I could still do all of my favorite updo's and protective styles. But now that my hair is considerably shorter---and a million times curlier---it's been hard to whip my hair into the low buns that I've been sporting for years. I feel so awkward and defeated every time that I try.

So instead of bunning my hair, I've been tying it in knots. I know. I know. That sounds crazy. Why in the world would I EVER knot my hair intentionally. Just gimme a minute to explain!

Here's how I got my #washdayexperience going:

Pre-Shampoo- Herbal Essence Hello Hydration
Shampoo: Jessicurl Cleansing Cream
Deep Condition: Jessicurl Deep Treatment
Leave ins: Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner + DIY Hair Butter


I start my wash day by slathering my curls in Herbal Essence Hello Hydration to help me detangle and to give my hair a quick boost of moisture. I know from experience what happens when I don't detangle before I wash: tangles and chaos is bound to ensue. I followed up my pre-shampoo by rinsing in the shower then shampooing once with Jessicurl Cleansing Cream. What I love about this shampoo is that all the softness that I get from pre-shampooing isn't completely washed down the drain. This shampoo gets my dirty scalp clean, doesn't strip my hair, and actually moisturizes my curls. Honestly, this is why I have so much trouble trying new products, especially shampoos. I just think to myself, if it ain't broke why fix it?!

After shampooing, I used a cotton tshirt to absorb some of the excess water then applied Jessicurl Deep Treatment to my curls in sections. I sealed the conditioner with a little Almond oil, covered with a plastic cap + scarf then left it in overnight. You can read all about the whys and hows to my overnight deep conditioning madness here.

In the morning, I rinsed well, focusing on my scalp then t-shirt dried for about 30 minutes. By that time, my hair was about 70% dry. I applied a drop of Almond oil, Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner + DIY Hair Butter in sections then (faux) banded my hair to stretch it a little. I always faux band my hair before I put my hair into an updo because my unstretched hair is crazy short. I'd guess that it's only 2-3" long when unstretched and twice or even three times as much when it's stretched. Need I say more? Haha! Faux Banding is crazy simple, you can check out how I do it here.

To style my hair, I worked in 3 sections: Top, middle, and bottom. The top section is just a pompadour started at the crown of my head and gently molded towards the front of my head. It's secured with hair pins. The middle section is a giant knot. I took the section, divided it into two pieces then tied the pieces together in a knot. I tucked the ends back into the middle of the knot to hide them. The bottom section is just another knot---just formed opposite of the middle knot. So you got- Pomp, knot, knot. BOOM. That's it!


If you love this style, I have another uber cute knotted style that you might like! Check it out here: Easy Knotted Updo Natural Hair.

How was your #washdayexperience?

Besitos!
KLP

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