Homeschool Only Blog? Uncaged Learning

Hey, guys! If you want homeschool only posts, I made a new blog for that, as I should have done a  long time ago. I have a homeschool Tumblr, but I don't update there often. If you are interested in homeschool posts only, follow the NEW blog here and keep up with our updates when the school year begins! http://uncagedlearninghomeschool.blogspot.com

Also, follow us on Instagram for school AND hair updates daily. 

+Curls of Innocence 

~Curls of Innocence~

Building The Confidence To Write Sentences | Uncaged Learning

Well, this isn't the homeschool blog, but I am posting this here anyway as a blog post! I hope you guys enjoy. What does your child struggle with academically?

Did You Enjoy Vlogtember?

Well, Vlogtember is over! I got through it. I only got to 25 videos, but who cares? I was exhausted and burnt out. I couldn't do anymore after video number 25.
Between homeschooling, having a newborn to feed every 3 hours, cleaning the house, doing laundry, advertising, cooking, and washing endless dishes, finding time to edit had become another chore. And when I was done, I was done.
However, I am proud that I came so far. I did 25 well done videos and I hope that you guys enjoy them. I took an entire week break before I uploaded another video, and it was a short video.

VLOGTEMBER 2016 Begins!

Hey, curlies! It's September and I've decided to do Vlogtember this year!
I know what you're thinking. "Didn't you just have a baby? How will you have the time? Will you be able to do it?" Well, I am challenging myself this month to really work on managing my time better.
Being a stay home mom with kids home all day can be rough and time can easily slip away from you. Challenges like these actually help me not waste time lollygagging online, looking at social media's mindless drama a little TOO much. YouTube is fun and I really enjoy making videos. So I'm doing Vlogtember, which means a video every single day of the month! That'll definitely keep me occupied in between bottle feedings and checking the kid's schoolwork.
Also, the one time I did a challenge like this (VEDA) last year or the year before, I gained a lot more followers and subbies in that one particular month because the videos were on topic but a little more off topic sometimes. Nothing wrong with branching out. I remember doing a couple of gaming videos and a few videos showcasing my ability to create my own music. Maybe I should do a couple more of those this year...
So I hope you guys enjoy and get ready for some fun! I'll be doing some tags also, whenever I can get some quiet moments around here. Haha!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIZDmfrrFK4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DF6yN4jk04

curlsofinnocence.com

Kid's Hair Updates! August 2016

Hey curlies! I apologize again for the lack of blog posts. I'm still very pregnant right now; just hit 38 weeks! We've been super busy doing a million errands, taking library trips with the kiddos, and overall, getting ready for the baby. You know how that is if you have multiple kids.
Plus, I've been preparing for the new 'school year' as far as homeschooling, organizing their schoolwork, and planning out what they're going to be learning in their new grades. A lot of things are happening with us at the same time, and it's overwhelming getting everything done while finding time to edit videos!
As far as the kid's hair, I have been trying to maintain protective styles on them for the last two weeks, and for the most part, Jamian is okay now. I gave him a much needed undercut and washed and retwisted his locs. They've been pinned up and out of his face for now.

Symari's blown out hair has served me well! It actually lasts a long time, with way less flyaways and WAY less tangles. It's still soft now after almost 3 weeks, although it needs to be washed. If I had the energy to blow dry it again just to hold me through the remainder of the pregnancy, I sure would because I would barely have to touch her hair. However, Syriah's is more of a concern in that area. Hers has been neglected as usual because it takes the most time and work. I want to blow dry hers also, but it's been mega hot lately. Our air condition at home isn't quite up to par the way it should be, I'd have no problem of it were. Blah. lol

Jalani's little type 4 curls have been easy. Wash and go fro or wash and go mohawks for him or a simple ponytail.

He looks adorable in everything, although he hates getting his hair done on days that aren't wash day.

Follow my Instagram page for DAILY updates on our hair and lives! I will be back updating here more soon. Any questions or comments leave them here or Instagram. Peace out!

IG: Curlsofinnocence

YouTube: 

https://www.youtube.com/user/curlsofinnocence/videos

Facebook: Curls of Innocence

Homeschooling Blog is on TUMBLR, Not Here!

I have had a few people coming here asking for homeschooling advice. I am flattered; however, this is not the homeschooling blog! I have a separate blog for that... it's on Tumblr! uncagedlearning.tumblr.com

For daily updates on that also, follow Instagram and Facebook.

I don't update Tumblr as much as I wish, only because I can't directly link my IG to the homeschooling Tumblr page. It would have to be the main page, but I have 4 Tumblr blogs and it won't let me choose which one I want to link to IG. But oh well. If you want to follow it, you can.

I recently changed this cover on YouTube to add the new family vlog channel. Check it out if you haven't already.

I am in the process of doing long term hairstyles on my kids that'll last for weeks because my pregnancy is at 33 weeks. And I'm super exhausted now. Can't do much of anything with everyone's hair all the time.

Stay tuned for natural hair updates when I can.

~Curls of Innocence~

Curls of Innocence Social Media. January 15, 2016

Hey guys! I've been slacking on this blog again. I just can't keep up with all this social media with 4 kids. I am doing my best while juggling two YouTube channels and other things here at home. Forgive me... that's why I recently made my Twitter strictly personal.

I do keep up on my Instagram, though. I post there a lot, pics of hair, health, and homeschooling things and ideas. Follow me @curlsofinnocence.

I am the hair whisperer of my family, so I am upkeeping six heads of hair. Yes, six. Remember, my hubby has locs now! It's been two months for him so far. I have those updates on IG as well. Yes, this is a lot of work, but I put it on myself to let my boys grow their curls out, loc one of them, and take on the task of maintaining another set of locs. Yikes!

Locs are fairly low maintenance, but not so much in the beginning. LOL! Getting my hubby's super loose textured hair to loc has been a bit of a struggle for me. We're doing it, however.

Anyway, life has been super hectic and busy, as usual. But we're living and doing okay, Vlogging when I can.

For any info on the kid's wash routines or wash days, stay tuned to YouTube. Updating the page on this blog where their old routines are would take a very long time and I'm not sure that I am going to do it anytime soon. LOL! ;)

~Epic Realist~

IG: @curlsofinnocence

Tumblr: curlsofinnocence

Facebook: Curls of Innocence

New WEBSITE!

Hiya, guys! I have a NEW website up for Curls of Innocence! Woo hoo! My first actual website. www.curlsofinnocence.com
Check it out! I'll feature this blog there with hair tips, pictures, and homeschooling info. I will have health info there as well.
Tumblr homeschooling page: uncagedlearning.tumblr.com

Changes and Setbacks?

Hiya, guys! I've been mega busy lately with these kids. Everyone's hair has been slacking a bit, including mine. After I had Jalani, who is 2 months old now, my hair has been suffering from me not taking the best care of it while pregnant because I was so overly tired.
I did not keep up on my deep conditioning, which has made my colored ends suffer. Bleh. Working on repairing that now.


Shrunken hair       Stretched hair (I'm at hip length now!)

 

Click the picture below for a video on how I touched up my color a few months ago!

The mini braids in this pic are out now though after having them in for 2 weeks.

So, anyway, I have been full swinging into YouTube now. Video editing is super fun, and I have tons of content to record if I think hard enough, so that is where a lot of my free time goes now. It's good in a way because it keeps me from gaming too much lol!  https://www.youtube.com/curlsofinnocence

I have been doing the new 'Failed It or Nailed It' series that I mentioned last post. It's AWESOME! 

The breakage that I had experienced in my hair a few months prior has been slowly getting better. I still have a lot of short pieces of hair, but it is growing back fast, and soon, I'll finally be able to blend it in with the rest of my hair again and it won't be sticking up all over the place like flyaways. Yay for progress there!

Syriah's hair has been super dry lately, but I don't have time to work deep conditioning into HER regimen. So I keep doing what I've been doing... protective styling mostly, leave ins every other day, water and AVJ spritz, oil mixture, shea butter on top. I've been slacking on her hair care because baby Lani, homeschooling them, and keeping the house clean has been taking up my time. :/

Symari's hair has definately felt the burn of not having her hair constantly moisturized. She has had severe matted bed hair every time I turn around, no matter what style I put it in! She sleeps super wild, which doesn't help at all. 

 

Jam's hair is coming along and growing a lot! I love the new look he has going on. It's fun experimenting with his hair because he has 3C curls, unlike his sister's 3A-3B tresses.

In fact, he currently needs a haircut on the underside of his head again LOL!

Rat tail update (June 26th)

That's all for now, folks! Hope you enjoyed this update. Peace out, curly mamas!

~Epic Realist~

Tyra Banks and "Good Hair"

Last night, I just came across this for the first time on YouTube. Tyra Banks was talking about 'good hair' on her show. Apparently, this episode aired years ago, but I'm just now seeing it.
Don't laugh at me. I don't really watch TV.

It's a five-part show, so there are four other videos with this. She was talking about hair around the time when Chris Rock created that documentary called "Good Hair" (which I need to watch again, by the way). It was an interesting Tyra episode... very informative, inspiring, and sad at the same time.
How many of you have little girls who have gone to school and gotten teased for their hair? Perhaps their hair isn't long enough, or straight enough, or even short enough. There was one little girl on the show who was teased because she was black and her hair was too long. Really!? Since when are you ridiculed for having long hair? Oh, I know. Because the other girls in her class are ridiculously jealous of her. Poor thing. She has what most people want and yet she gets handfuls of her hair pulled out at school.
Kids are just so mean.
But what's even more sad is that you can't blame the kids. It's not their faults. It's the parents. However your child acts in school or behind closed doors is a product of what you created. If you are telling your little girl that her hair is ugly and nappy, then she will grow up with low self esteem, tease and bully other girls who have long, straight hair, and when she's old enough, perm her hair relentlessly and burn it all out. A lot of women don't realize that because they've grown up and their mothers possibly did the same thing to them, they are damaging their own daughters as well.
One woman on the show had even started to perm her 3-year old daughter's hair. Three!? Ouch! That's how old my daughter is. I wouldn't even dream of putting such a harsh chemical in her hair, especially at that age. Her hair is still growing in delicately!
I feel sorry for these poor little girls. Their mothers have already taught them that there is such a thing as 'good hair' and 'bad hair', and that if you have 'bad hair', you won't get anywhere in life. That's the negative perception that we all have about our hair. Society will not accept us with our knots and coils. There was an author of a particular book about black hair on the show, talking about why we all have this perception and where it came from. She said that it went all the way back to slavery, when the slave masters had sex with a black woman to get a mixed child, and that child was light skinned with long, wavy hair. That child got  opportunities in life that a regular, all black slave child never had. That light skinned child often got a greater chance at life... better food, shelter, clothes, and education. So we've automatically been brainwashed into thinking that if we are lighter and look as much as possible like a white person, we're good. We're on top of the world and we can get the same jobs as a white person. We can fling our hair like a white person. We can be rich like a white person... if only we had good hair.
It's just so sad that a lot of us still have that mentality. It's simply ignorance that we've grown into. We're portraying it to our youth and don't realize it. We have to do better with raising our young girls. I applaud the mothers who have gone natural and allowed their daughters to go natural as well. We should be embracing our culture. I don't mean do anything stupid... run a muck with afros, screaming 'Black Power', bring back the Black Panther party, protest in the streets or anything like that. Just give our youth better self esteem, and that there is no such thing as 'good' or 'bad' hair. If you have some hair at all, you're good. Ask yourself... would you rather be bald instead of having the kinks in your head, and not have the opportunity to wear a wig or a weave over it? I'd rather have something than nothing! Why do you think cancer patients have it so hard in the hair department?
Yes, taking care of our hair is difficult. It is. But that is where we educate ourselves on how to take care of what we were born with so that it becomes easier. This is where some mothers are just plain lazy. Instead of perming the kid's hair, they could braid it or do something less harmful that takes the same amount of time as perming it does. There are so many things to do to a child's hair so that it won't take long to quickly fix in the morning, or even at night. Doing those home perming kits takes about, what... 30 minutes or more for the whole process? In that amount of time, you could have detangled and done a protective style! Oh, and let's not forget the blow drying and the dreaded flat ironing process... that's too much for a little kid to go through. Some mothers are just lazy and lack the knowledge on how to properly care for the child's hair, so they make it as easy as possible... for them, not the child.
This is yet another reason why I am homeschooling my kids, because if either one of my daughters ever come home crying with a chunk of their hair cut off because some jealous brat got trigger-happy with scissors that day, or my son comes home with his rat tail gone, I'm going to go a-wall on somebody's parents.
So parents... let's get our acts together... for the sake of causing more harm to our kids.
(steps off soapbox)

~Epic Realist~