Modesty in the gym?

I know what you're thinking, another blog about what I should or shouldn't wear? Not the case! I hope this encourages you!

Nike shorts have been my go to this summer. I started working at an athletic club so after I would get off work I would workout. Now that it's fall and it's starting to get a little colder everyday, I wanted to switch over to yoga pants/thermal spandex. Now I'm just gonna get honest and real with you all here...I hope that's okay. The thing with yoga pants or spandex is that it can cause a distraction...if you know what I mean. Have you ever been to the gym and felt like you just wanted to get your workout on but felt like guys were eyeing you? Did it make you feel uncomfortable? It's happened to me a few times and I've noticed that it happens more when I wear my yoga pants. And I don't say this to seem cocky or anything at all, I've actually see it happen a lot more with other girls working out. Since I work at a gym, I see it happen often. I've also heard a lot of girls talk about it too.

Now you could be thinking..."that's not my fault, guys should know how to control themselves." Don't worry, I thought the same thing. Until a very close brother in Christ told me exactly how hard it is for guys and all the thoughts they have from the smallest thing they see. Think about it like this. If you're on a diet and trying to lose weight, but the rest of your family isn't dieting and all they eat is junk food right in front of you, how hard is it going to be to stick to the diet? The temptation would be so big, you would just go back to eating junk food too. If something that you are trying to stay away from is continually being shoved in your face, you would almost never see improvement. It's like the problem never gets solved. The truth is that God made men sexual and woman emotional. Most of us will never really understand what they go through on a daily basis. And I'm not here to only defend the guys...I agree that guys should be trying to change that everyday but it also involves help from the girls.

I actually have had multiple conversations with a few very close friends who are men of God and spiritually mature and they brought this to my attention. They have all talked about their experiences at the gym and how certain things that we girls wear have caused them to stumble. They even refer to yoga/spandex pants as "stumblewear" hahaha.

So how can we compromise with being able to wear yoga pants (especially in the winter) but also not cause our brothers in Christ to stumble? This got me thinking.......and shopping ;) I have found the cure! LONG, LOOSE, WORKOUT SHIRTS! lol. Academy sports here in Clarksville (and many other places) are selling these cute Nike workout shirts. AND they were on clearance!

This is called the Side Tie Training Top. (Click on the name of the shirt to take you to the website where you can see it in more detail). I loved this shirt because it was loose and you can tie it on the side. I know the website says it's $35 but if you go to the store it's on clearance for $17! 

This one is called the Boyfriend T-shirt. (Click the name for the link). I wanted to get one with sleeves too! The website said this one is $40 but I got it for $17 also! There are a lot more colors available.

I hope this blog post was encouraging to you. My goal was to bring awareness to this topic and to show you some cute alternatives. As women of God we are called to help and it should be our hearts desire to be a help to our own brothers in Christ as well. The gym is such a growing trend now a days that this would be a great place to start. I hope these work for you!

     

The best dry shampoo!

Do you ever get tired of always doing your hair every day? Does your hair seem dry because you wash it all the time? Does your hair get greasy just after one day it seems like? Well I've got the solution!......
Ok I'll stop sounding like I'm an "As Seen on TV" ad. BUT I do have a great and CHEAP product to share with you all.

This is Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo.

I know I posted about another dry shampoo about 6 months ago but this one is even better. I was NOT a dry shampoo believer until one of my best friends showed me this one and it worked great in my hair. (Shout out to Makayla Jessie!) I used to have to wash my hair every single day because I couldn't live with the greasiness but now I can go 4 days without washing it with this stuff! That's a BIG deal for me knowing how I used to be. I don't even have to wash my hair after I workout because this dry shampoo even dries up all the sweat and leaves my hair smelling good!

What is dry shampoo and why is it helpful?

• This stuff is only $2.88 and you can find it at Walmart. (Sure beats the $7 one I posted last time..) I'm all about some great products for an even better price.
• Dry shampoo is great for all hair types because we naturally produce a lot of oil on our scalp (which is good for your scalp) but in turn it makes your hair look greasy. Dry shampoo dries out the oils in your hair but not the ones on your scalp, giving you a non-greasy look, while your scalp is still getting what it needs. 
• You can save a lot of money by not having to buy shampoo and conditioner every few weeks because you only wash it two or three times a week. I've been using the same shampoo and conditioner for the past 2 and a half months!
• I've noticed with my hair that my hairstyles last longer and hold better after not having washed it. The dry shampoo also gives it some volume. I can curl my hair one day and rock the soft curl look for the next few days and to me it gets prettier as the days go on. 
• Research shows that it's actually healthier for your hair if you don't wash it every day. Washing it 3-4 times a week is plenty. Like I said earlier, your scalp produces good oils for your scalp and hair that you need, if you wash it every day, you aren't getting the necessary oils your head naturally makes. 
• This is also a great time saver. If you're always on the go like me, you can save some time in the mornings and not worry about having to do your hair. Just spray some dry shampoo and bam! You're good to go.

I'm going to show you how it worked on me from this past week:

This was on Monday night, and I had just washed my hair Sunday. Still looks clean and fluffy.

This was on Wednesday. You can see my hair is greasy on the sides and around my bangs. 

Can I rock the gray hair look?! Ehh... probably not. But this is after I've put dry shampoo in my hair. I sprayed some under my bangs, under the sides of my hair, and on my crown in the back. I usually like to spray some on first, then do my make up while it sits to make sure it soaks up all the oils. 

This is what it looked like after I brushed it out. All the oil is gone! I brush it out with a big brush and then use a teasing comb to get the rest of the white out. 

And this is what my hair looked like after...I didn't re-curl it or add anything else to it or tease it...all that volume is from the dry shampoo! (I still didn't wash my hair until Thursday night).

I've had so many people tell me that they can't go a day without washing their hair because it's too greasy...Well I was the same way until I gave this a shot, and I'm so glad I did! Try it out and let me know if it works for you :)

Have a great weekend and God bless!

                                                       

What I'm listening to

Hello everyone!

It's been awhile since I blogged... Christmas 2013 to be exact...ha... But I recently got inspired by a friend to start blogging again, and I'm going to try my best. Today's topic: (drum roll......) MUSIC! Random right? I just wanted to keep it simple today and share with you all some of the music I've been listening to lately. It has all been encouraging and has had a positive influence on my life and who knows, if anyone reads this, it might do the same for you.

One album that I really like and workout to it all the time is Social Club Misfits 2.

If you like rap, hip-hop, and even some acoustic songs, this is a good album. The cover might look crazy but I promise it is worth a listen. (I think the puppy is cute anyway). 

The second album that I've recently bought and LOVE is Mali Is... by Mali Music.

This album is fire to me. If you like reggae music with cool beats and a positive message, you'll love this too. ("One" is my JAM!)

Why post about music out of all things? Well, I don't think we all realize how much music really effects us. What you are feeding your mind and soul is so important. It's crazy how we can not hear a song for years and a throwback comes on the radio and we know every single word, like if we listen to it everyday. That's power. It's crazy how music can be attached to certain memories we have. We can be listening to a song and all these memories flash through our minds. That's power. Music has now become the way our generation communicates. "babe, listen to this song, this is how I feel right now..." *que Adele. What happened to good ol fashioned talking? lol.

Another reason why music is important is because the music we listen to determines who we serve. That might sounds like a bold statement, and it is, but if you're not feeding your mind and body good, then, by default, you have to be feeding it "bad." What is considered "good" or "bad" now-a-days? I use the verse from Philippians 4:8 to decipher a lot of these things now.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8 NLT

You can use this verse with almost anything, but in this case we will use music. If you are trying to see if a certain song is going to affect you in a positive or negative way, listen to it and ask yourself these questions: Is it true? Is it honorable? Is is right and pure? Is it lovely and admirable? Is it excellent? Is it worthy of praise? (You have to be honest with yourself here). This is just one technique that works for me, others might do something different.

Yes, the two artist that I mentioned earlier are "Christian" and do talk about God in their songs, but this isn't to say that you shouldn't listen to other artists/songs who aren't necessarily  "Christian" artists, I'm just saying to have good judgement. I used to be really legalistic and religious about music and I learned that there are equally talented artist out there who put out great and positive music, it all really comes down to what you put in, is what you get out.

If you like any of the music I posted, let me know and I can show you more positive music.

*Some of the things I mentioned in this blog are from a sermon I watched called "The Power of Music." I suggest watching it, it was deep and great! Click here if you want to watch it.

Have a great week!



                                                    

Products I love!

Hey friends! I decided to add a section to my blog on products that I have used or am currently using, and give you guys my opinion on them, good or bad. Remember, this is just my opinion and how these products worked on me, everyone is different so some products that work for me might now work for you, and vice versa. But today I am going to review 2 hair products that I am using!

Moroccan oil: Believe the hype about this stuff! I bought this about 7 months ago and I use it almost every day and I still have half the bottle left, and it only cost me about $5 at Walmart (college student budget :) ). Moroccan oil will last you at least a year because all you need is a penny sized amount for your hair. A little goes a long way with this stuff. I like moroccan oil because it protects your hair from the heat, and it helps repair damaged ends. It also smells amazing. It leaves my hair so soft. I usually put it on when I get out of the shower and my hair is damp. 

       

Dry Shampoo: This is the dry shampoo that I'm currently using. It's called Beyond the Zone for Medium to Dark Hair. They also have one for people with light hair. I bought this at Sally's for about $7. I wasn't a believer in dry shampoo until recently, I thought it couldn't work on my oily hair. I decided to try it out anyway because I was washing my hair almost everyday and that's not good for it. I'm surprisingly pleased with this dry shampoo. I mostly spray it on the crown of my head and under my bangs and it absorbs the oil right up. Now I can wash my hair every other day. I'll eventually start going longer but I'm still training my hair :)

I will stick with the moroccan oil because I love it and helps my hair so much, but I will probably switch it up with the dry shampoo once this bottle is out, just to see what else is out there. I'll be sure to let you all know what I find!

                                                        

DIY Olive Oil Treatment!

While I was home for Thanksgiving break my sister came to visit. While she was there I did an olive oil treatment in her hair, it's very easy and it works! This is good for your hair because it helps with the texture and strength and keeps your hair looking healthy and moisturized.

What you'll need: olive oil, a comb, a small bowl/cup, and about 20-30 minutes. :)

Step 1: Pour some olive oil in a small bowl/cup and warm it up for about 20-30 seconds tops. We chose a measuring cup because it had a little spout we could pour the oil out of.

Step 2: Brush your hair and get out all the knots. Pour the luke warm oil on your head starting at the crown and massaging the oil into the roots and scalp while working your way down to the ends of your hair. Once you have covered your whole head, especially your scalp, comb your hair through. It should look like the pictures above.

Step 3: Wrap your hair in a towel or shower cap and leave it for about 30 minutes to an hour. Take advantage of this time and relax or do your normal routine. 

Step 4: Take a shower and wash out all the oil. You might need to wash your hair twice to make sure you get all the oil out. After that you can style your hair as usual. 

• This is a before and after picture of my sister's hair. She has dandruff and you can see it on the picture on the left. Dandruff is just dry scalp and it really shows during the winter because of the dry weather. This treatment is really helpful for people who have dry scalps because it really clears up the flakes for a couple weeks, as you can see in the picture on the right, but this is also good for any type of hair. Tip: I would suggest doing this treatment once a month. 

                                                     

                                            

Can I brag on my Lord?

Just wanted to brag on God for a little bit. After black friday and buying Christmas gifts for people, I was running low on cash... and I still had a list of people I wanted to buy Christmas gifts for. But as I was budgeting everything out, I also realized I didn't have enough gas money to go to church on Sunday. (I go to church about 35 minutes away.) It was going to be my last Sunday at church for the semester before I went home for Christmas break. I also was wondering how I was going to get home next week since it takes a full tank of gas to get to Clarksville. I knew I could ask my mom for money, but I didn't really want to. So then the Holy Spirit reminds me, "Alexa...Why don't you ask me first instead... like you're supposed to?" Duh. So I prayed, and I said I wasn't going to worry about it, and I know some kind of money is going to show up before church on Sunday. And I left it at that. A few days later we had our annual cheer Christmas party, where we do the secret santa thing and get each other cute little gifts. When I opened my gift I pulled out a cute scarf, some candy, a silly picture frame, and right there at the bottom of the bag was a card. A gas card. I got so excited that I yelled out "Ah! thank you!! I prayed for this!!" As everyone laughed and we moved on to the next gift, I couldn't help but smile and thank God. It might sound silly to some, but it was such a blessing to me, not only to get the gas card, but to be able to make it to church, and home without asking for money, and being able to get everyone Christmas gifts, but it was a blessing because it reminded me that God's always got me. Even in the small stuff. And not only did He just provide a little money, or just enough money, He provided more than I could ask or think. Trust Him...He will reward your obedience.

What I'm thankful for...

I know I'm a day late on my thankful post, but who says you can't be thankful everyday of the year? :)
About 2 weeks ago at school, we were asked to write down what we were thankful for in these paws (we are the tigers, get it?) and they would tape it up on this big wall in our cafeteria. As I was looking around to see that everyone else was writing, I noticed people saying: Jesus, God, family, friends, jobs, CU, etc. Even though I am very thankful for all of those things, I felt it in my heart to write down "Grace." I might've gotten a few looks from people when I wrote that down and taped it on the wall, but it really got me thinking. If I had to describe this past year in one word it would be: grace. I've had a serious relationship with Christ for almost 2 years now, and I had heard the word grace being used by all my mentors, pastors, friends, etc., but I never really knew what it meant. Why was everyone talking about it? What was the big deal? And it wasn't until I decided to ask God what grace was, that I figured out why it was such a big deal. Now you might be thinking that I'm weird for not knowing what it was but hey, I have no shame in asking God to explain stuff to me lol. He wants to hear from us anyway.

When I asked God to show me what grace was, it was like I couldn't avoid the term. Any sermon, any verse, a lot of conversations, were about grace. Simply put, Grace is God's unmerited favor, or an undeserved gift. Grace is getting what you don't deserve, and not getting what you do deserve.  Grace is the opposite of karma. Grace is unconditional love towards a person who does not deserve it. A great thing about grace is that we live in a world that's about earning and deserving which results in judgement, which is why everyone needs grace. As one quote states, "judgement kills, only grace makes you alive." It was like all this information hit me at once, right when I asked God what grace was. And it was then that I finally knew what Jesus really did on the cross for me. He took all my ugly sin and hung shamefully on the cross as I killed Him, just so I would never have to be ashamed of the things I've done, because He loved me so much. It makes me emotional just thinking about it. When I finally had this realization, all the hurt and anger I had inside of me was easy to let go of. And anytime the devil tried to bring adversity in my life with people, I knew how to handle it, because grace had been poured on me. Now that's not saying that I always handle things the right way, because I don't, but I know how not to let hurt and anger harbor inside of me, because I remember His grace. Honestly friends, knowing His grace is such a relief. Whatever you think you've done that is so horrible, it's not. His grace is sufficient. And in the words of Andy Mineo, you're never too far to be made new. And for that, I am thankful.

On another note, I am thankful for Michael. We met this man 2 days ago at the salvation army. He was covered in tattoos and looked like a tough guy. One of my friends felt God telling him to go talk to Michael. As he did, Michael started to open up to him and telling him about the hard life he has had. We found out that the next day, (thanksgiving) was his birthday. My friend promised Michael that he would come back the next day and see him. So we came back the next day with some World Rebels gear for Michael. He was very thankful and said he didn't know how to react because he hadn't received a birthday gift in 16 years. After talking with him for awhile, he opened up to all of us and my friends spoke truth to him and after some emotional moments, Michael received the best gift last night...the gift of salvation! I am so thankful for bold friends and people like Michael who are going to impact the world for Jesus through his amazing testimony. He already impacted me more than he will ever know. Pray that Michael sees God's grace in his life and that he knows he can impact so many people with his story. Last night blessed me.