Hey out there!!!

I haven't written in almost two months! Or maybe more. I'm totally gonna do better!!! Well just to give a glimpse as to what I've been up to... Let me post my latest paintings and such. Then I will make more posts soon!!

Early Morning Thoughts

I've been up since very early in the morning. No Black Friday shopping for me, but being on night shift totally screws me over when I have to readjust to real life. I'm really looking forward to Saturday and Sunday nights off... Especially because I get to spend Sunday night with my love.

You know how when you're awake you do a whole lot of thinking? Well that's what happened. I thought, thought, and thought some more. Every day on Facebook, I see some young lady or man degrading or being somewhat tart about the opposite sex. Whether through song lyrics, opinions, or experiences. Even at my hospital, there are so many BABIES - not the ones we deliver, but the ones having them - who are there with their mothers, and the guy who got them pregnant is nowhere in sight. I just hate it. I understand that there are other factors to what we see and don't see, but there's no doubting that this is becoming increasingly common and it's downright depressing. That's a topic for another day... I'd be typing forever if I stayed on this.

I don't care what anyone says... Song lyrics these days play a part in many people's expectations and outlooks on relationships. Movies too! People are making threesomes sound expected and commonplace. Making sex seem glamorous, easy, and without consequence. Portraying women like objects just for sex or entertainment. Making it seem like if you don't have a big booty or some nice boobs, you are unattractive. Watch what you listen to. The beat may be nice, but that ish over the beat is subconsciously sinking in. Truth. I've limited my amount of raunch music because of that. You begin to have these unrealistic expectations of things. "I want to find the man of my dreams in the most romantic setting, have a lavish wedding, honeymoon in France for two weeks, have 2 kids and a dog, and live happily ever after." Or the latter, "I'm just trying to have a good time, I can have sex with who I want, I'ma be fine." This is real life. Get your mind right.

Let me hop off my soapbox. Just some thoughts. Get mad if you want... That may mean you fall into one of the aforementioned types of people.

Watch yourselves, man.

THANKSGIVING!!!

I'm so happy about Thanksgiving. Its one of the only times I can see my fam, I didn't have to work, and I got to stuff my face. My dad's side of the family all got together and had dinner, I bonded with my little cousin who is now a college girl... She's beautiful and just has so much going for her.

The best part of the day? Food. Yams, specifically. I look forward to them EVERY year.

Boyfriend's mom made me fresh cranberry sauce. I'm gonna devour that as soon as I see him! Didn't get to spend this holiday together since he had to visit with his folks in SC. Understandable. We have New Years though! No complaints!

I'm not down with the whole Black Friday thing... But I DID order some Miss Jessie's, it's buy one get one FREE right now, so I got 2 jars of the Baby Buttercreme and 2 jars of the Stretch Silkening Creme for $54. I never buy Miss Jessie's because it's so expensive... But it's a sale. I need to hit up a shopaholic anonymous meeting.

No more purchases for me soon. The Sliquid package comes in tomorrow, and my Good Clean Love came in yesterday. Nothing to report yet, haven't tested it out. But I will!

Off to nap... Well, eat some more then nap.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Organic Lovin'... Part 1

Yes, organic lovin'. Commercially-made lubricants and edibles are laden with chemicals, preservatives, and just all out disgusting-ness. Yeah they work... but if I can't pronounce all the crap on the ingredients label (and I'm sorta well educated, if I do say so!), I don't care how good it tastes or how well it works, it has no business on our most sacred parts. So after MUCH searching, I've finally located some that are good for you AND that work pretty well. This post is gonna just focus on the organic/natural lubes. The edibles may come later.

Sliquid Organics

This stuff has been my go-to for over a year. It is created without the use of parabens (preservatives), is water based so it can be used with condoms, and is organic and vegan. Plant cellulose, vitamin E, hibiscus, green tea, and sunflower seed oil are some of the ingredients in this lube, and it is made to mimic the natural feeling of a lady... not at all watery. Not sticky either, and it's a very good blend of ingredients for a realistic texture. Some of the ingredients are great for healing as well. Only issue is that it's a little pricey, like $12-25 for a 4.2 or 8.5 oz bottle, but the bottles last for a very long time. I don't mind paying that two or three times a year.

I like the plain one, but I recently ordered the Sliquid Organic Oceanics, which has carrageenan (which also helps prevent the spread of HPV, ladies), nori algae that contains vitamins and minerals, and wakame seaweed that improves elasticity. 

Another plus? For the ladies who are infection prone (UTI's, yeast, or BV), Sliquid does NOT cause infection.

Sliquid has a wide variety of products, and ALL of their products are natural; there's just a separate line for those who want to take it a step further and have it organic as well. They have natural flavored lubes, natural massage oils, and even stuff for the guys! You can check out their store here.

Astroglide Natural 

My nurse practitioner at my OB/GYN actually suggested Astroglide. I'd heard from other women that it was pretty good, so I decided I'd try it and pick it up on my next store run. When I went to Target, I noticed they had a NATURAL 2.5 oz bottle of Astroglide for about $3 so I scooped it up! It's a different texture from the Sliquid; more watery but not like I just stuck my hand under a faucet. It has similar lasting ability to Sliquid, maybe a little shorter but it works well. Astroglide Natural is also paraben and glycerine free, but does contain phenoxyethanol and xylitol, making it a little less natural than my fave. This one's good for the natural girl on a budget. You can get free samples from the Astroglide site here!

Good Clean Love: Almost Naked 

I tried this one at the store, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. The scent/taste of lemon and vanilla sounds sexy, but the texture was slightly odd to me. Maybe I need to feel it again. But all of their lubes are edible and are safe for use during pregnancy, plus their little tubes are pretty cute. They have Lavender Rose and Cinnamon Vanilla ones in addition to the Almost Naked lemon and vanilla. They sound pretty good! You can buy it here but you can subscribe to their newsletter and get a free Lavender Rose or Cinnamon Vanilla one here :) 

Yeah... I just ordered some. I caved.

YES Organics

The name is simple enough! I tried this lube years ago and almost forgot about it! Made in the UK, they make both oil and water-based organic lubricants using at a MINIMUM 95% organic ingredients. The makers at YES are so awesome and provide applicators for the lube so that you don't get messy. Never seen that before! Their packaging is by far the best; it's sleek and doesn't give away what it actually is if someone sees it chilling on your nightstand. They are on the pricier side as well, but it's worth it. 

The texture is slightly thick, and quite realistic as well. It has good lasting ability, and it gets the job done! Does dry out after a little while if you don't use enough, but just reapply and go on. 

What I love about YES is that they have a lube specifically for couples who are trying to conceive, called Yes Baby. It is sperm friendly so that becomes easier to become pregnant, and the kit comes with an ovulation test to see when you are most fertile. Great for families that are trying! You can check out their other products here.

I ordered some more Sliquid products and a sample of the Good Clean Love so I can see it for myself, so I will have more to report later... on the next love post. Fill me in if there are more organic or natural love stuff y'all have tried! 

Starting Up!

Ok so I'm really excited about this blog thing... it's my first real attempt to get a whole natural, artsy, crafty blog going! I have a little mini one for my art website but its not too much. So here you'll find me talking about natural hair care, product reviews, tips, my creations (which I'm sure I'll do giveaways for and have a sale option), and a bunch of other goodies. 

I'm a HUUUGE jewelry lover, really big on sterling and fine silver, and I love gemstones and such. So I'll def have posts on my favorite handmade jewelry shops and some of my own jewelry. 

AND crocheted items. I love crochet... and knit. But I can't knit... so I'll post my fave knit items and shops too. 

Stay tuned! Subscribe, let me know what you wanna see! In the meantime, you can just see me ;)