The postpartum period is an emotional time in a woman’s life.
With the joy of a new baby and personal physical and hormonal changes, it can be very challenging for mothers to have enough time during the day to take care of themselves while caring for their new baby.
However, new moms should know that it is important to devote some precious moments to their health and well-being and reconnect with their own mind and body.
Pilates offers a safe, effective and progressive means of reforming your body’s strength in just a matter of minutes.
Pilate’s help gain stability and flexibility. Core stabilization involves training the deepest muscles of the abdomen, spine and pelvis to support the trunk during movement and make your body more resilient to injury.
Pregnancy and delivery weakens each of these muscles and makes new mothers vulnerable to low back and pelvic pain and pathology.
Thus, reactivating these muscles and reconnecting the abdominal walls with the pelvic floor is important in the early stages of motherhood.
Pilates help promote flexibility by encouraging the spine to move in all planes of motion and all muscles to lengthen and stretch with proper biomechanics within safe and appropriate range of motion.

3 Core-Strengthening Pilates for Postpartum Mothers
Here are three core-strengthening postpartum Pilates exercises for new mothers.
Note that while they are safe and gentle, these exercises are intended for women who are at least six to eight weeks postpartum.
Make sure you check with your doctor or physical therapist if you are unsure whether these exercises are right for you.
Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor is a multi-layered basket of muscles that holds your organs in your pelvic basin.
It is located in the area between your pubic bone, tailbone, and sitz bones. The pelvic floor is the foundation of your core and is too often neglected.
To begin the pelvic floor Pilate, draw your attention to your pelvic floor, lengthen your spine and keep it lengthened during the course of this exercise.
Engage your pelvic floor as if you were squeezing to stop the flow of urine mid-stream, then maintain the engagement while you lift your pelvic floor up vertically.
Transverse Abdominals
The transverse abs are the deepest layer of abdominal muscles.
Start by standing on all fours. Take one hand and place it on the center of your abdomen. Inhale, pushing your belly out like a balloon, then exhale, slowly pulling your belly in deeper and deeper, as if there were a string drawing your navel in toward your spine.
If you’re having difficulty connecting to your transverse abdominals while doing this exercise on your hands and knees then try it seated or supine.
Toe Taps
The toe tap is another great exercise that will strengthen your transverse abs and obliques.
Start by lying supine with your arms relaxed and knees bent at a 90-degree angle, lift one leg at a time into a chair position.
Now, you should look like you’re sitting in a chair, only with your back on the floor. Place your hands on your hips and engage your transverse abs.
Slowly lower your left leg, tap your foot lightly on the floor, and bring your leg back up to your starting chair pose. Repeat this with your right leg, and continue alternating legs for as many reps as possible.
Focus on isolating your pelvis as you articulate from the hip joint.
Keep your transverse abs engaged throughout to prevent your hips from rocking from side to side.
Also, do not arch your back as you do this exercise.
 
Here is hoping these help!

I have always had very oily skin and occasional breakouts. It was never a problem for me until my skin revolted totally. I had more breakouts, rashes, dry skin and some patches. It was horrible.
 I decided to do something about it. Immediately I made up my mind; I booked an appointment with a dermatologist. I went in for my first consult for an assessment. I discovered I needed to change my regimen and bought some products for sensitive skin. I was then booked in for three sessions of Glycolic peel facials. I highly recommend it. I will tell you more.

Glycolic skin peel at my dermatologist, although I could not get a good look at the products used, was very effective. In a glycolic facial, acid is applied on the face to penetrate, cleanse and restore the face. Of course, this is not the malicious acid you prepare for your enemy. Glycolic acid can be created from sugar canes and also be created synthetically in labs. The acid is applied on the face directly or diluted first. With glycolic skin peels, the dead skin gets exfoliated, and you receive a deep cleanse. You remove dirt that ordinary soap cannot reach. A glycolic peel is good for you if you have;

Hyperpigmentation
Acne
Dry skin
Sun damaged skin
Ageing skin
Blemishes

What to Expect
I got to lie in a hospital bed and snooze for a few minutes. Even if it is called a Glycolic peel or sometimes a Glycolic Acid Peel, the actual process is simpler than it sounds. The skin is cleansed, and the acid applied liberally then cleansed again.
Complications?
Some of the possible risks after are not limited to, but include; swelling, itching, redness, scabbing, cold sores, prolonged skin sensitivity to the wind and the sun, increased or decreased pigmentation. Personally, I did not encounter any of these problems, but you should be well aware of the risks.
After Care

You should wear sunscreen after
Do not use products outside what your practitioner recommends
Do not undergo any bleaching, peeling, waxing while undergoing treatment

 
To achieve maximum results, you may need a course of between 2-4 chemical peel treatments depending on your skin type, tone and condition.
 

Whether you call them box braids, jumbo braids, or even Poetic Justice braids, this trendy hairstyle is one you should rock. Not only are box braids a fun hairstyle that gives a fun look, but they’re also a great style for girls trying to protect their hair during the cold winter months.
Women like box braids because they offer an excellent opportunity to extend the hair and wear versatile hairstyles which look exquisite yet are very simple to do. 
The only downside to box braids is weak, brittle hair. But if you have none of such complaints, don’t ever hesitate to rock this look: Box braids can be styled in some awesome ways.

Box braids can last for months when properly taken care of, which makes them ideal for any time of year and any occasion.Whether you’re currently rocking box braids or considering booking a salon appointment to get it done, scroll through the photos below for hairstyle inspiration.
                        
 
 
 
 

Finding a good shampoo can be stressful, especially if you want to mix your own and you have dry natural hair. While some store-bought shampoos can be stripping and harsh, many homemade shampoos do not seem to clean the hair properly.
The following homemade shampoo recipes may provide that cleansing power without leaving your strands very dry:

Homemade Shampoo Recipes:
African Black Soap Shampoo
African black soap is made with palm leaves, cocoa pod ash, plantain skin ash, palm kernel oil, and sometimes fewer or more ingredients (e.g. shea butter).
Mix this soap with glycerin or honey (both of which are humectants), grapeseed oil (helps to lock in moisture), and clean water so you have a cleansing, non-stripping shampoo.
Ingredients:
4 tbsp African black soap (crumbled into pieces)
1 cup hot distilled water
Two tsp glycerin (or pure honey)
Three tsp grapeseed oil
Instructions:
Mix the ingredients together in a bottle. Shake the bottle well and allow the mixture to cool before using.
Save the remainder in a corked bottle for future use (up to a few weeks).
Coconut Milk Shampoo
Liquid castile soap is made from olive oil (and/or other oils) and water.
Although some naturals have been ripped off from it with all the talk of pH, the reality is that other naturals have faired fine using it in their shampoo recipes.
If you want to give liquid castile soap a try, the following mixture involves the addition of organic coconut milk (for dilution and additional lathering), distilled water (for further dilution), and safflower oil (for moisture).
Ingredients:
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
3 tbsp organic coconut milk
One tsp distilled water
One tsp safflower oil (add more if you desire)
Instructions:
Mix your ingredients together in a bottle. Shake the bottle well before use.
Save the remainder in a closed bottle for future use (can last up to a few weeks).
Follow up with an apple cider vinegar rinse (if necessary) for pH balance.

The child in mind is very much alive, can you tell? Well, today I watched Moana, and I enjoyed it tremendously. Moana is a great family movie; I love the direction Disney is going these days, skipping Prince Charming altogether.

This story is about Moana, the chief’s daughter who has been chosen by the sea to go on a voyage that would save her people from danger though the disaster is not imminent at the time. Moana has the dilemma that most of us go through to either tread a path that had been laid out for her by her father to be content to stay on the island and lead her people or to sail across the sea to find her way.  She learns the traditions of her people to become a great chief but continually receives inspiration from her grandmother the village crazy lady. Tragedy pushes her to take the plunge; she must sail to find Maui the Demigod and command him to sail with her and return that which he took.
Maui, on the other hand, has a lot of subliminal lessons for us to learn from, abandoned to the gods by his parents, he becomes a demigod and performs deed after deed to receive love and worship from the humans which are never enough. Thor has his hammer; Maui has his hook which he lost in battle. Moana, the human, helps Maui see that he is valuable with or without his hook or the love of humans.
It is beautiful to see that the main villain was once the source of all things beautiful, almost like Maleficient showing us that most villains are mostly understood or simply hurt. Moana sees this in the end as is able to make it right. She returns home a hero and leads her people to sea as their ancestors before them went on as voyagers.