How I Gain Weight

I know most people that read this will probably be like "Seriously! We need a post on weight loss mahn not weight gain! You have no idea how much weight i put on during the holidays".
Well i gat u, i already wrote about how to lose the holiday weight fast and i am personally finding it useful currently. Can you imagine that i moved from a Size 8 to Size 10!

Woe unto small chops & cakes!

Majority of my clothes did not fit after the holidays and i'm definitely not ready to accept this new size and change my wardrobe. Nope!
I have started working out, eating really healthy, snacking mainly on watermelons, counting my calories and i'm currently on a 40 day church fast. Fasting is not only a spiritual exercise it also helps detox the body when done properly and combined with a healthy diet. Thankfully i'm almost back to my regular size and i won't stop till i get my Teyana Taylor bod😁 *fingers crossed*

Anyway enough of my stories ba, this post is about how to gain weight not how to lose weight.
There are people who struggle with weight gain and for a variety of reasons either because of stress, eating too little, high metabolism, burning more calories than is consumed, etc. I recommend the Superskinny vs Supersized show for anyone facing this challenge. You will definitely learn a thing or two about how to improve your diet. I typically lose weight when i'm really stressed with work and extra-curricular activities.
Being skinny does not always mean you are healthy/fit. We need to always find a balance, if not you end up fatigued and burned out very easily.

Food is Fuel for our Body.

I'm no professional but this is how i gain weight somewhat healthily:

• Know your Body Mass Index (BMI)
• It goes without saying that you will need to eat and not just eating your regular portions. 
• You will need to increase your food intake even if it is slowly and more times a day 'cos it will take a while for your stomach & body to adjust to not getting full quickly. Try to eat at least 3 proper meals a day and increase it from there
• Accept that it may take some time to add the weight
• Accept that you may add weight in places you don't want to except you are also on a good workout routine (e.g thighs, stomach) 
• Balance your workout with a proper diet- It could be with smoothies and fruits before you can access a proper meal
• Eat a balanced diet- It should include good fats & oils, protein & carbs at the very least. You want clean calories
• Eat coconuts, avocados & dates
• Drink full-fat yoghurts (I recommend Habib Yoghurt) esp with Fura (ground millet)
• Dairy & Whole Eggs are great for weight gain
• Drink Water only before or after your meals not during
• Do not keep climbing the scale to see how much u've gained-You will be disappointed, instead measure ur weight loss by how ur clothes fit or by using a tape rule
• Meal planning you can have a timetable, make a list and cook from it or prep ur meals for the 3days-1week ahead. Planning ahead helps you if you are not one who enjoys cooking or has time to eat out.
• Diligently keep a daily food diary/calendar (click here) to account for how well you eat daily (You can take pictures of what you eat as a photo diary)
• Involve a close friend or family member to help you on your journey and keep you accountable
• Switch up your meals every once in a while. You can go to restaurants or find new recipes online to spice things up
• Take Multivitamins especially the ones that improve your appetite
• Stock ur fridge, freezer and pantry with the good/healthy stuff and snacks (Fruits, Veg, Nuts, etc)
• Find useful resources online
• Get enough sleep, rest or downtime especially when stressed
• If your case is serious you may want to consult a nutritionist or dietitian to recommend a n effective solution for you.

I hope this helps someone out there that has been struggling with weight gain.

 Toodles!XooX

Best Skincare Purchase Ever!!

It's my Michael Todd Soniclear Elite! I got mine in the color 'Mint Dream' (It comes in a variety of colors), if you are a follower of my blog you already know about my love for all things colorful🌈, especially green😁.

Source: theglamorousgleam

I bought this brush around Labour Day in 2015 along with some of their other skincare products (so i got a 25% discount, btw they always offer discounts) through my friend in the USA. However she wasn't able to send down the Brush till sometime in August this year and it has honestly upgraded my 'Face-Care' Routine (I plan to do a post on what i use and how they've worked so far so stay tuned for that). I have combination acne-prone skin but thanks to cutting out cheese and severely reducing my dairy intake, i only have acne/pimples when my period is approaching or when i eat certain foods i know i shouldn't like pizza, groundnuts,etc and the scars happen when i pick my face, which i 'try' not to do.

Sept 2015 (Thanks to Pizza cheese)                                    Nov 2015

November 2015

I try to keep my product use minimalist and simple (a.k.a lazy)and this brush was exactly what i needed to achieve that, i use it in combination with my Forever Alpha-E Factor, Aloe Sunscreen and Forever Living Sonya Skincare Kit  (which was my initial Best Skincare purchase before purchasing the brush, i have practically exhausted and dreading a re-purchase thanks to the current exchange rate situation *sigh). I currently use the Boots Traditional Glycerin & Rosewater as i'm out of my Sonya Aloe Refreshing Toner from the kit, its working out well thankfully.

Sonya Skincare Kit

Alpha-E Factor

Aloe Sunscreen

Boots Glycerin & Rosewater

Empties😢

I get a good cleanse for my face using this brush and love that i can decide how intense a cleanse i get plus i feel a lil bougie and pampered every morning after use.lol. It has really helped reduce the appearance of my acne scars and i'm done battling my white heads with ACV. I have also tried out the body brush and was surprised how squeaky clean i felt afterwards and how well it got rid of my pityriasis rosea scar dry skin peels but i think i'll need to purchase the Extension Handle to use it better.

I've been getting great comments from my friends on how clear my skin is and questions on what i'm using. For me personally its a big deal to have good skin 'cos i quite like being without makeup and i believe the skin is a reflection of how healthy we are so even though i can be quite lazy, i take pride in having somewhat clear (if only i'll stop picking my face!👀), firm, glowing skin 😉

August 2016

August 2016                                     Sept 2016

Sept 2016 (Compare to 2015 above)

Oct 2016- No Makeup/Makeup

The Brush came with a bigger body brush, its charger base and plug and a manual (which my friend forgot to include, thankfully they had thought of scenarios like this and have an online manual!)

The Soniclear Elite is Sonic powered • 6 Speeds, Rechargeable, Waterproof, has a built in timer to tell you when to move the brush to another area of your face(cool feature 'cos you can easily overscrub), has C-Boost™ Technology- an additional pulsating massage mode and claims to be the World's first antimicrobial protected sonic skin cleansing system brush that guards against 99.9% of bacteria that can form on brushes between use so the brushes stay cleaner and fresher longer.

It is definitely my all-time favorite skincare 'product' and i'm glad all my research and review reading paid off in helping me purchase the best brush brand. I intend to get some of the additional accessories i can use with it in the future such as the Extension Handle, Pedi Smoothing Disc, Infuser Head and maybe a Men's face brush 'cos of hubby.

Check out their Website for more info. There's also Worldwide Shipping and Free Int'l Shipping for Orders of $75 and above.

My office looks (Oct-Nov 2016). Check out my post on Chic Schooling.

                                     Oct 2016                    Nov 2016 (No foundation or Concealer)

Nov 2016

Nov 2016

Toodles!XooX

Female Grooming

This past week i was quite overwhelmed by the amount of basic grooming i had to get done along with work and my other daily activities. I had to mentally force myself to get them done and look 'decent' and feel free and light. The most annoying being anything to do with waxing and trimming, i enjoy tweezing and have to caution myself not to overpluck. lol. Here's my list:

• Eyebrows: Grooming methods- I trace out the shape, tweeze and use a fancy blade for extra clean up if necessary. Check out my post on brows, i pretty much still use the same technique.

Tweezers

• Ears: Grooming methods- I use cotton buds to clean mostly the outer part of my ear and a bit of the entrance, Don't go poking your ears with cotton buds to get all the wax out and have it squeaky clean, it'll just make your ears produce even more wax. The wax is also there for a reason, it protects your ear canal. If you have pesky ear hairs, buy a 'Nose Ear Trimmer' to get rid of them.
• Nose Hairs: Grooming methods- I just tweeze out any pesky ones that grow way out of my nostril (very painful!). Alternatively you can use a trimmer or small scissors to cut the overgrowth
• Chin Hairs: Grooming methods-I tweeze the black obvious hairs (I have quite some facial hair but luckily the majority are pale and blend in with my skin). This method works great for me and i don't have to deal with any bumps or rash.
• Finger & Toe Nails: Grooming methods- I Cut and File as required because i keep my nails quite long and hardly wear nail polish
• Underarms: Grooming methods- Cold strip waxing & Tweeze

Cold Wax Strips

• Pubic Region: Grooming methods- I have used all sorts of methods to be rid of the hairs but was scarred by my last warm waxing experience, read here, so for now i'm into trimming with small scissors till i'm satisfied (it takes a very steady hand and a lot of time!!). I hope to get an epilator wen dollar goes down (procrastination caught up with me) or a shaver, my friend swears by her Grundig shaver, she says its stress and pain-free. I'll update you guys on how that goes. 

cuved scissors

• Legs (half-leg): Grooming methods- Cold Wax Strips
• Head Hair: Lol!! This one i have to write a different post on my regimen. I mostly DIY but on super lazy days i go to a salon for some TLC. So watch out for this post

That's it! It is a long list right and imagine all the above being due for grooming at the same time! I know typically most ladies have to deal with the stuff on my least than most guys.

Sheesh!! But when they are all sorted i feel as free as a bird in the air.lol.

Do share your basic grooming habits and methods you find easy and pain-free.

Toodles!XooX

#Storytime-Yaaoch Part 4 (Back to DIY)

This post is loooonnnggg overdue. Check out my other Yaaoch (Wax) Posts. I was able to locate Bnatural Spa (No. 30, Mediterranean str, Imani Estate, Maitama) and although not as efficient as my former Morroccan lady cosmetologist at MB Hammam, this new spa served my purpose well. I was attended to by a Nigerian lady and although she was initially chatty and would complain about me leaving my hair for so long, etc; *rme* after a couple of sessions however we became cordial and i would even tip her 'cos she always did such a good job with my full Brazilian (they call it Playboy Wax) and underarm wax. Whenever the wax couldn't take out all the hair, she would go in with tweezers and take out all the hair and leave me with a super smooth and clean skin. Don't you just hate it when that one hair starts growing and spoils such a good job. 

Anyway fastforward to the main story, on this day, i called as i usually do to book an appointment with the spa and to confirm if my regular therapist was available. They informed me that she wasn't and if i'd like to shift my appointment for a date she was. I said i would have the appointment with whoever was available, i was under the assumption that all their staff were adequately trained and it wouldn't be an issue. BOY WAS I WRONG!! 

I showed up for my appointment on time and was led to the treatment room, i did the usual undressing and got on the bed, the new therapist was not chatty, thankfully, she did the usual trimming and got to work waxing. I was getting my usual full Brazillian (Playboy) Wax which cost about N6,000+ at the time. 

I have a highhhh pain threshold, i have had several waxing sessions and come out smiling. This was definitely THE WORST and tops my Yaaoch Part 3 experience. The therapist had no clue what she was doing and after yanking the wax strips off my skin severally, she started apologizing, telling me my hair was too tough, i had left it for too long since my last wax appointment, she has tried all she can and its not working, bla bla bla. I could feel the tears well up in my eyes when i looked down and realized the hair was basically intact with patches everywhere. I could have done a better job!! I was furious! I just kept thinking, i should have just waited for my regular therapist and avoided this trauma and waste of money. I got up and got dressed with my patchy wax job and my nether regions hurting like crazy. I considered making a complaint and not paying for the service but honestly i was sooo furious, embarrassed and teary eyed that i would have full on started crying. I paid and left and swore NEVER AGAIN!!! I'm done with waxing my nether region. 

My people i never looked back o, as much as i miss the smooth feel and not having to worry about hair for a long time, i'm done biko. I no come this life come suffer. I was also not ready to go back to shaving sticks as i much love being bump and spot free then i got a *light bulb* Scissors! I went on the hunt for small sharp scissors with curved blades, the type you find in a manicure set and i got to work. I got a small stool and sat in my shower and trimmed till i was satisfied. It takes forever but DIY is definitely the way for me. I still use cold wax strips for my underarms and lower legs. I'm gonna do a post soon on all the grooming we females constantly have to do. It can get tiring sha. Trimming with Scissors has replaced my Brazillian Wax until i can buy an epilator and try it out. I'll definitely let you guys know how that goes. 

Toodles!XooX

Beyond Indulgence Spa Review

spa premises

My bestie, Antonia, was in town for the Christmas & New year holidays! I hadn't seen her since December, 2013 (she was around for my birthday) and it was an absolute delight having her around and catching up. She got me a lovely spa set, notepad, caftan and a birthday card containing the sweetest words for my birthday. I hosted her, my sis and other friends @my house with plenty food, small chops, drinks, cake and karaoke for my birthday (i shall do my usual bday post with more info) it was really fun. Coincidentally her house is just 'bout a 5min walk from my house so we got to see each other every other day *big grin!

Anyways i digress, i had been wanting to visit the spa for a while and when i mentioned it, she said i should pick a spa and we could go together as my birthday treat (isn't she just the bestest!). That's how i started spa hunting-googling & making calls -i wanted an affordable spa and sadly my usual spa (MB hammam) have hiked up their prices.

We settled on Beyond Indulgence Spa 'cos it had the most affordable price, looked decent from our research and i wanted to try a different spa.

MB Hammam

Basic Hammam N15,750 (used to be N10,000)

Traditional Hammam  N16,800 (used to be N12,000)

Six Senses Spa

Body Scrub N11,500

Morroccan Bath N18,500

Special Bath N25,000

Beyond Indulgence Spa

Basic N10,500

Complete basic (with Henna) N12,500

Traditional/Herbal Hammam N15,000

Soukhla Hammam N20,500

Reception

I called to book our appointment for 4:30pm, we got there on time and were welcomed at the reception. I asked if they have a PoS, they said it wasn't working but after the treatment they would have someone follow us to the ATM and collect the money. No wahala. We were led to the waiting area and were offered tea and water, which we declined. 

Waiting area

We only waited about 5mins before we were led through the salon to where we changed our shoes and were given constructible slippers and up the stairs to the spa section. We were led into the changing room which was really small and not quite welcoming (maintenance issues); we changed into towels and were given shower caps and free disposable undies.

Stairwell

Changing room

We went into the bath area where some olive oil based black soap was rubbed on us and we were led to a real nice steam room (it was white and bright with seats and looked like something out a sci-fi movie), i noticed the steam took a while to build up though n escapes real quick when d door is opened and this happened a couple of times. We were given a face towel for stopping sweat getting into our eyes and bottled water to drink in the steam room. There was nice soothing music playing in the background all the while.

Steam room

After about 20 minutes, we were taken out of the steam room and back to the bath area which had two tile slab beds with yoga mats (mine was yellow and had black stains and dots on it. i wasn't happy with that) on them. Warm water was used for us throughout, we laid down face down on the slab and were lathered with soap n were scrubbed proper and then we turned over for a repeat. The yoga mat was quite unstable and i kept sliding up and down the direction i was being scrubbed, i had to grab unto the tiles to avoid sliding off and there was no cushion to put head on so my braids got wet during rinsing. I'm not sure if the scrubbing sponge was new n used just for us.

Bath area

Bath area

The scrubbing was quite vigorous for me but definitely much needed, i guess their staff was bent on ridding me of all the dry peeling skin from my spots thanks to my Pityriasis Rosea episode (i'll do an update soon on my current situation and the effects harmattan has had on my skin) She did a good job. We were rinsed afterwards and given soap to wash our face, after proper rinsing we were sprayed with rosewater, tied our towels and headed for the changing room. Sadly we had to use the same 'unravelling' slippers we wore in the bath area to the changing room, it was soaking wet and frustrating 'cos it wouldn't stay on our feet.

Unravelling slippers and wet floor

Thanks to our wet unravelling slippers, the carpet in the changing room also got wet and it was difficult sliding moving around to change.The towel i was given was shedding n left annoying white fluff on my body, there was no moisturizer in the changing room n everyone knows how drying Hammam is talkless of during harmattan, luckily we brought along body moisturizer n shea butter which we used. It would have been nice to have partitions for privacy to change & dress up and a seat to do my makeup. I had to makeup in d lounge restroom which had better lighting

They had attentive n courteous staff, no PoS like i mentioned earlier so we had to drive Keystone bank with their guard n give him d cash

It was nice getting to have a spa time with Antonia this time around, the last time i had to leave her all alone at MB Hammam.
I rate them 6/10. They lost points for the following:

• Need for minor renovations on the premises-peeling wallpaper, cracked walls, etc.
• Not having a Pos 
• The several black unknown dots/stains on the yellow yoga mat placed on the slab where i was scrubbed
• No moisturizer or chair to seat or privacy partition in the small changing room
• Small showercap and no cushion to place my head during the bath so my hair got wet at the back
• Towel was shedding white fluff (sooo annoying)
• Tacky slippers that kept unravelling and making it hard to walk
• The scrubbing sponge used did not look new and we were not informed if it was or not

Toodles!XooX

Yaaoch Part 3 (Back to square 1!)

My new ‘Wax’ Spa- Bnatural Spa

Lol!! Don’t mind me, I had to find a new spa for my waxing needs after my not so pleasant experience at MB Hammam during my last wax session (new therapist) it was a horror! the 1st therapist practically bruised me without taking out the hairs until she finally gave up and told me her thumb cound not allow her continue; they sent in a replacement who talked and apologized almost throughout the session and barely managed to make it look decent. I was quite upset at the service, the pain and my time wasted, i expressed my disappointment to the manager who apologized and said i'd get a discount for my next treatment (definitely not waxing). I was able to locate Bnatural Spa (No. 30, Mediterranean str, Imani Estate, Maitama) and although not as efficient as my former morroccan lady at MB Hammam, this new spa will serve my purpose just fine. I am still using MB Hammam for my hammam sessions though, i have a free hammam on my loyalty card to do thanks to all the referrals and gifts of spa treats i have made to friends. I hope i enjoy the treatment as usual as i will be very sad to go hunting for a new spa for hammams also.You can check out my Yaaoch Part 2 here http://tamikoadyms.blogspot.com/2012/03/yaaoch-part-2-not-really.html Take care of you and remember to spoil yourself once in a while. 

Toodles!XooX

Yaaoch Part 2 (Not Really)

Soooo i went to the spa again for my second waxing session and there was no yaooching from me this time. It was just like Smile (my waxer) had said, that after the first time it is not as painful. I went in there during work hours (yh..yh) 'cos i was less busy and my boss was AWOL. I did the same things i did the last time i.e underarms, brazillian. I decided to do my legs too, i.e the lower half, i used to use Veet and it was ok but i was in an experimenting mood and it did not even hurt. It felt like lil pin pricks, i have a high pain threshold anyways so that may have contributed.

This is the longest i've lasted comfortable without needing to shave and if you check the time between my last post and this, you'll see its about a month and some days. I also noticed that my underarms are not as dark as they used to be. yipee!!! anyways, summary is, the procedure did not hurt much and i was done in less than an hour and back to work and i can forget about shaving for about another month. 

You can check out my Yaaoch Part 1 post here http://tamikoadyms.blogspot.com/2012/01/yaaaaoooch-even-with-high-pain.html

Toodles!Xoox

Yaaaaoooch!!!!!!!! (even with a high Pain Threshold)

....and so i waxed!

I no know who send me message o...I was bored at work and the headache i had been having at one side of my head since 4am was just beginning to dull out. I did a mental run-through of all the stuff i had to do and the one bugging me was that i had to SHAVE!! hairy underarms are not sexy on guys or gals!! but we all know how annoying and dulling it can be to do routine stuffs, as much as we try we lax a bit and next thing u know, u wanna wear a tank top and that hair is all over the place saying 'i told you so'.

Anyways enough of my babbling, i picked up my phone and called my fave ladies spa (MB Hammam) to book an appointment for underarm waxing which cost 2000 Naira. I went along with my friend who just wanted to see what the place was like thanks to all the deserved hype i had been making about the spa.

We got there and I decided i might as well try the brazillian wax while i was at it. I changed in the dressing room and waited for the person to attend to me another room.

...and then she started, gaskia i no know who send me message o!!wey i for just dey use my shaving cream/stick jejely. She  first put some baby powder on my underarms and then rolled the hot wax ('cos it was not warm o!) on my underarm from some deodorant looking thing like that, all this time i was cool o, then she placed the strip where she had placed the wax, she  rubbed it for a bit and FIAMMMMMMMM she pulled it off!!!!! It hurt so bad I screamed inside me and clenched my teeth, i could see the hair that had once been on my underarms on the wax strip. The woman no even take easy or give me time to rest! She just dey wax, dey strip dey go. I don peme finish inside, i just dey pull brave face like sey e no too pain me. When she was done, i decided i ssssssoooooooo was not doin any brazillian. The pain had been bad enough here talkless of down there. While i was thinking all this i thot she was done o 'cos she

had moved her bright light and had put aside the strips...in my dreams o... she pulled out tweezers and plucked out all the stubborn ones that had not come off with the wax!! Aye mi o!! i had not planned for this. I told her i did not want to do the brazillian anymore cos the pain was too much, she just calmed me down and told me i had done very well for a first timer as others usually scream at the top of their voices. She said she'd give me some time to relax and if i still did not want to do it, there was no problem.

After relaxing for about 15mins i decided WTH lemme just get this over with! You know those comprehensions they used to make us write in Secondary School? the 'had i known' ones? well thats how my story turned out! HAD I KNOWN i would have left after doin my underarms. I will not bore you with the details but it was 10 times more painful than that of the underarms. Anyway i went back to work and by the time i closed i wasn't sore anymore and by the next day it was as if nothing had happened.

After all this drama i acted i had to ask the lady why waxing was better than shaving and she sed it does not make the area darker in color as shaving does and one does not get bumps. Trust me i did not take her word for it o. I googled her response when i came to the office and got similar responses, they said the hair grows out finer 'cos its removed from the roots when waxed compared to shaving so i guess she was telling the truth. I guess this wont me my last time there then,hopefully the next time will be less painful. i'll try to get the mini strips so i can try doin it myself. oh well..till then! i'll let you know how that goes.

Here are some useful links i found while surfing the net:

• http://www.ehow.com/how_2214922_do-underarm-waxing.html
• http://atmarupa.hubpages.com/hub/Waxing-Hair-Removal-Or-Laser-Hair-Removal
• http://strangevision.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/a-late-christmas-present-braun-silk-epil-soft-perfection-epilator/
• http://www.makeupsavvy.co.uk/2011_07_01_archive.html
• http://www.mywomenstuff.com/2010/12/21/the-brazilian-wax-when-deforestation-is-allowed/
• http://www.epilatorcentral.com/best-epilator-for-brazilian/
• http://www.epilatorcentral.com/best-epilators/

epilator (multi tweezers!! arrgh!)