The Nikcoil Chronicles

I've Got a Bun in the Oven

I started this year off with a bang! I was hoping I would be blogging more often in 2012. When in the month of January I started feeling a little bit more fatigued then usual. By the end of January I figured out what the problem was...I was pregnant.

So now that I am in my 2nd trimester 20 weeks today. I figured I might as well update my blog. This pregnacy is a waaay different then the pregnancy with my daughter. I was sick everyday for the first six months. This one not one day of morning sickness...Thank the LAWD! With the last pregnancy I had had the typical i am eating for 2 mentality and was literally eating that way. This pregnancy I have no appetite and was tested and diagnosed at 8 weeks with gestational diabetes so I was not gaining any weight I was losing weight due to the combination of a very restrictive diet and not having the desire to eat 6 to 7 times a day. I also realized the the reason why I was so tired was because my blood sugar was crazy low. So me having a totally different pregnancy this go around everyone in my family including me and hubby (except for my 6 year old daughter) just knew that this had to be a boy baking in the oven.

Well, yesterday we found out what we were having...

Total shock on me and hubby's face and I actually started crocheting a blanket in a teal color. I think i can still use it for a girl. But we were banking on a boy and he would be a junior so i wouldn't need to pick a name. Well now that there is a little princess in here I need help choosing a name.

So if you have any suggestions for girl names, add them in the comments section.

What 3 Things Can You Not Live Without?

Since I am a curly girl. I am going to think in the terms of what 3 natural hair items can I not live without.

1. Spray bottle with an unlimited amount of water and olive oil premixed - Gotta maintain the moisture and i can use my fingers to detangle and style my hair
2. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil - Gotta Lock in the moisture can't my strands all dry
3. Satin Bonnet/Scarf - The satin scarf can double as a hair accessory

What 3 hair products can you not live without?

What Am I Most Passionate About

What am I most passionate about?

I never really thought about that before and I really had to think about this because I am actually pretty passionate about anything I put my hands on or my mind towards. But if I had to pick a number #1 thing....It would have to be my family.

Before I became a wife and a mom. I was someone daughter, sister , granddaughter, cousin, etc. and If my family needed me I would be there in an instant. If someone was having a function or a performance, I would be there to support them. Throwing a family reunion, a baby shower, a bridal shower I would help arrange and coordinate it. I just love having a big family. There is never a dull moment. I don't feel like my first cousins are cousins they seem like siblings, because if they needed anything I would be there for them like I would my siblings.

Now that I am a wife and a mom. My familiar priorities are different. My husband and then my child and then the rest of my family. That took a while to adjust to but it is something that you can accomplish but it is necessary, so that you can maintain a healthy and loving marriage and a loving household for your children.

My Introduction to the World

Hello OnSugar World! My name is Nikco.  I guess I never really did a formal introduction on my blog. I am a native of Los Angeles, CA. But when ever I speak to anyone for the first time they ask am I from some where else. Most recently someone asked if I was from Chicago.I don't think I have an accent of any kind.

I am working mom, wife, a sister and friend. I use this blog to write about things I normally I would keep to myself, concerning my hair, fashion, my crafts (sewing and crochet) and the current things that are going on in my life. When I was younger I wrote in a diary all the time, until my mom found it. As a teenager I felt violated and stop writing my thoughts down. It's funny because now blogging is such a public forum and things that you may have experienced or go through may help someone else.

And one of the reasons I loved writitng in a diary in the past was because it was very relaxing. I would look at what I wrote the previous year or 2, and I would see how much I grew or what I was going through, or if i even grew at all. It great to see what God has brought you through and sometimes we can't see that just by looking in the mirror. So this blog is geared toward a variety of things and I may throw an occasional video on here.

What the heck! Is going on with my hair!

I can't believe it's been 6 months since I cut my hair back in July 2011. I am going to be honest I do miss the things I could do with the longer hair that I can't quite figure out with the shorter length. But donating to Locks of Love was an awesome experience, especially when I would tell people they're first response would be I thought only White people or Hispanics donate their hair. I didn't think they would take "our" hair. Seriously folks! Even when I went to the post office to mail it and they asked what is in the envelope (which I know is normal procedure) and I told her hair. The post office clerk said, "really, because at the other post office I worked at only white people would mail to Locks of Love. This is a first." The funny thing is when I tell people my hair was waist length prior to the donation I get the yeah right look. :side eye: Then when I had my hair long I always getting the weave check by others. Nothing wrong with weaves and wigs, because I will rock a cute wig in a hot second.

Now I've been Natural about 10 years. Believe me I knew nothing about a Natural community, movement trend or anything. I just want to be able to wearing my hair in a curly ponytail without having to do a straw set. Deep huh? LOL So in 2001 I decided to stop getting perms and just started getting my hair pressed and trimmed over the next couple of years. Actually my time of transition was the time I had fun with different hair cuts. Getting long layers, then short layers, then short in the front and long in the back, etc. Then in 2003 I got engaged and told my beautician I want to grow my hair out for the wedding in 2004. And I never cut my hair drastically since 2003. So I started with shoulder length perm free hair in 2003 and waist-length hair by 2011. It took 8 years  and one pregnancy for me to achieve that. And 8 year ago that was not my goal. I just wanted a curly pony tail lol. In 2009 I decided to start wearing my hair in it's natural state. So one day I just washed my hair and let it air dry with no gel, no order of a regimen. I just left some Mixed Chicks Leave In conditioner in my hair stared at myself in the mirror for what seemed like an eternity but was maybe 20 minutes and just walked out the door.

In 2010, I decided to see if my hair could reach waist length straightened. Once it did I would donate 12 - 13 inches to Locks of Love. Well I reached that Goal in July 2011 and decided to cut it myself.

I went from this:

To this:

So like when I first decided to wear my hair in its natural state I threw my head under the shower and re-wet my hair to see what it would look like in it natural state. This is it as a wash n go (the next day), a twist out (the day after that) and the lower picture is a twist out on my hair prior to the Donation my hair was Bra Strap Length un-stretched.

So now that it has been six months I want to donate again. I want to donate to Pantene Women. They create wigs for women with Breast Cancer. But I recently looked at their requirements and they don't accept dyed hair. Definitely that was disappointing but understandable. Which means to donate to them I would have to either cut my hair again and then begin the process to re-grow it again. And the older I get the more my little grey hairs begin to come out. Yeah...I think I will be dying my hair for a while to donation number 2 maybe delayed. Even if I don't make it to doing another donation, I am very happy to say I made a donation to help some child who has lost their hair to disease or genetics.

Back on my Grind in 2012

I've been so busy these last few months. I don't even know where to start. There have been major changes at my job due to layoffs. Thank God I was not laid off, but people I've known for years were let go, but that resulted in me receiving increased job duties. Besides work, people began noticing my crochet items and hats and scarves and began requesting orders so, it sort a difficult to blog and crochet all at the same time. So what I created was an on-line store, I haven't made it public yet because I would like to finish the orders I currently have before taking on new orders. Working on this crochet has made me realize that I love the world of fashion!!!

I mean I even sent an inquiry to FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) and met with a counselor about going back to school. Now my Bachelor's is in Business Administration. And I have no previous fashion experience. The counselor said she would move me on to the next level of interviews because of my passion for the things I've created. I mean I was smiling from ear to ear!

Then reality set in....there is the cost of going back to school. When I say cost I mean, it is about the same amount as if I was going back for my Master's and same length of time about 18 months. But the other thing it will cost me is my time with my family. The time with my husband who was working 2 jobs at the time and our quality time was already limited. The time being spending time with my daughter who is only in Kindergarten. I love helping her with her homework, spend time with her doing activities and just watching her grow. Then class time conflicted with my work schedule. Being a working mom and wife, already had me at my limit adding student to my title seemed like I just may be pushing it. I am actually proud of myself for taking the first step to get the information. And I know not all successful fashion designers go to Fashion school but I seriously want to learn fundamentals like sketching and draping. There are just some things YouTube can't teach you. Believe me, hubby is very supportive in me going back to school for Fashion, but I know it would put at strain on things. I am sooo happy that I have found something like creating clothes and accessories that I can do with natural talent. That I can always go to school for later in life just to enhance the God given skill I already have.

And that is pretty much how I wrapped up 2011. I really don't do resolutions because my life is always a work in progress even if I don't meet all the goals I set, let's be real some goals take longer than other to accomplish. And some goals are lifestyle changes and I like the changes and direction I am going.

I will be bloggin more often...so stay tuned!

I Sorta Big Chopped! ~ By Donating to Locks of Love

I will blog about the donation, I made a few weeks ago. I went from this picture above to this:

More to come.....

A Rekindled Love! - Extreme Couponing

Oh Lawd! If loving you is wrong, then I don't want to be right! Is how I am feeling about couponing right about now!

When I moved out on my own I was on a strict budget as a college student back in the 90’s. So to save I would go over my Grandma’s house every Sunday and go through the coupons she didn’t want or need. My grandma would clip out every single coupon, I guess just too past time. Now prior to the current recession, rewards clubs and this thing called the internet. A paid subscription to your local paper seemed to be the only way to save some money on groceries. Well back then, you actually could get 30 – 40 coupons in the Sunday paper, but now you’re lucky if you get 10 or even if they’re in there (I understand times are hard, but dang if I pay extra for the Sunday edition there better be some coupons in there). So eventually, I gave up on the tedious routine of waiting on the coupons in the paper.

Until one glorious day, I was channel surfing, which I rarely do and I came across his show called “Extreme Couponing”. My first thought…what the heck could be extreme about clipping coupons? Well, this is not your traditional wait with your Granny for the Sunday paper to come and then clip out all the coupons that are in there and hope that you are able to use at least half of them. I saw this man strategically arrange sale papers and coupons he had been saving and layout an actual blueprint on what they were going to buy and actually buy these items in bulk and pay little to nothing for it or actually get everything free. When I saw this I was thinking. 1. There is no way this is legal and 2. Who needs 200 bottles of Gatorade and you are a family of 3. That is when I realized that is taking it to the extreme…plus they actually have storage or basements to stock pile all this stuff. I live in California in an apartment where space is already limited. But as I begin to watch other episodes, I realized especially after going through being on furloughs last year that I can make this work for me without going to the extreme. I mean I don’t get the Sunday times because I read all of my news on the internet. But I realized a couple of weeks ago where I live the coupons that typically would be in the paper were in my mail box with all the other junk mail I usually just throwing away. I also found a few gems at my fingertips that I want to share with you that may help you save on food just in case you and your family find yourself in a bind.

Ways to get coupons:

1. Your Sunday Newspaper

 

2. Coupon Websites like Coupons.com (no annoying emails, just go to the coupons you want to clip and print them directly from the site)
3. Blogs in regards to money savings, printable coupons and weekly deals some of my favorites : Save the Coupons, Double Saving Divas, Spoiled but Not Rotten, Coupon Divas
4. Website of the Products you frequently buy - they have coupons and deals and a lot of the time free samples of new items.
5. Stores Website – this was a new find for me…here I am thinking that Targets sales paper were the ONLY bargains they had…go to their page and scroll down to the bottom and tada! COUPONS! Click there and you will find coupons you can use in store or online.
6. ASK friends and family – not everyone is keen on saving a buck or 2 so don’t hesitate to ask friends and family for coupons they were just going to throw away

Oh Yeah and before I get out of here….I found out that our military and their families are able to use manufacturers coupons up to 6 months after their expiration dates at their Commissaries if they are stationed abroad. So don’t throw away expired coupons or non-expired coupons you don’t plan on using. Go to the website Coups For Troop for more information.

Please mail expired and non-expired coupons to:

Coups For Troops

P.O. Box 147

Winnabow, NC  28479

By incorporating some of these tips in my shopping this week I saved about 40% off of my last shopping trip! If you have any money savings tips or freebies to share place them in the comments section below!

Have a wonderful Father's Day weekend!