my natural hair questions

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I have questions. Lots of questions. I have some answers to, but the questions come first. Oh and they have to do with hair cause like I said, I've become a bit obsessed. I thought I would just share them with you and maybe you guys could help me. Yes? Yes. 

Disclaimer: I know what I do and what I should be doing, it's just nice to hear, er, read other people's opinions and what they do.

How often do you shampoo your hair? I feel like for me, my hair tells me every week or so, but I know it's different for everyone.

Do you co wash? Honestly this whole co washing business confuses the hell out of me. Help me. Do I need to be co washing and how often?

Deep conditioning. All about deep conditioning. Like how often? What do you use? I know I should be doing it, but I haven't found a. the time and b. the right products. I know there are some great DIY deep conditioners that I really want to try. Do you have any faves?

What are you favorite protective styles? I love a good protective style and I want to know, what's your go to one?

How do you maintain your style? Whether it be a wash and go, twist out, braid out, protective style, whatever. I need to know how you maintain it. My biggest problem with my wash and go is that it looks bomb the day of and maybe the next day, but I can't for the life of me keep it looking good for more than two days. I need serious help.

Those are the most burning questions I have right now. I feel like most newbies have those questions or maybe more, so let's help each other out. Also, I am going to do more detailed posts about the products I use and how I use them. 

Thanks for reading, yo.

About my hair and stuff like that

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This post may be all over the place, but hey, what's new? I want to give brief overview on my natural hair journey and pick your brain about wash and gos. I will probably be doing a more detailed "natural journey" post, but for now, here goes. I'm new to the whole natural hair game. Well not completely new so let me explain. I guess I've always had natural hair in the sense that I've never had a perm. I've always gotten my hair pressed and worn it straight. With that being said, I used to flat iron and curl my hair almost everyday. When I was in high school, my curls just had to freaking perfect or I was freaking ot. Then as I got older I stopped putting so much heat on my hair and I wore it up in a bun of some sort (which is my fave way to wear my hair btw). Then I stopped straightening my hair altogether and that brings us to where I am today. I haven't put any heat on my hair since March, I believe. I'm not really counting and I don't remember the specific date as I'm not really "strict" about my natural hair. I don't have a certain length I'd like to get to, but I mean of freaking course I want long hair. I'm really more about the health of my hair since healthy hair is growing hair. Not sure if that made sense, but you get the picture. When I stopped straightening it, I had no clue what I was doing. I was putting shit on my hair that had no business being on there. I didn't know half the stuff I know now and I still feel like I don't know much. I'm constantly looking online and all the information is so confusing. Like really, really confusing. At the time, I didn't know what kind of curl pattern I had or what curl type I was. I wasn't even aware that even existed. Now I'm all about my natural curls. I freaking love them. My hair has sort of become my life. I'm obsessed with it. I love learining about it and seeing wha does and what doesn't work for me. I also want to pefect and I mean really perfect a wash and go. I still haven't yet and that bugs me like nothing else. I've done a lot of research, well reading online, and while my wash and go looks decent, it still kind of sucks. So I want to know, do you guys wash and go and if so teach me your ways. I'm kidding, but not really. I really want to know what products you guys use and all that good stuff.

P.S. I'm going to be doing a product post soon and maybe answering a few questions if you have any for me.

As always, thanks for reading!

What to expect/not to expect

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There a lot of things that make up who I am. Like most people. I'm not just interested in one thing. One dimensional if you will. Over the last few months, my interests have changed. Let's be honest here, they haven't changed that much but I digress. I'm growing, I'm getting older, and ugh I'm becoming an adult. So even though I hate expectations, I feel like this blog needs some sort of guideline or something like that. So what can you expect from this blog. First off there will probably be some fashion related things since I do love fashion and all that good stuff. There may be some decor posts. There may also (okay there will) be some posts where I'm just writing what's on my mind, kind of like journal except I'm not the only one who will be reading it. I may discuss celebrity type things, because let's be honest, I'm kind of more than I'd like to admit interested in that stuff. One day there may be tips and advice, like things I've learned. Also quotes cause I love 'em. There may be spiritual posts because God is an important part of my life (if you don't like that, sorry). There will be beauty related things like nail polish and lipstick cause I'm somewhat of a lipstick hoarder. Oh and hair. I've recently developed a keen interest in all things natural hair so you can expect a lot of that. I'm still a beginner, so bear with me. 

And since I mentioned that I don't like expectations, here's what not to expect:

Please don't expect there to be expensive products or fancy shit like that cause that's just not who I am. I for one (like many people) am on a budget. A tight one. One of the things I'm most looking forward to is showing you guys how to or how I take care of myself with spending a shitload of money. I want to be relatable  cause after all, I'm just a normal, small town girl. Some of the blogs out there show things I could never get (at least right now) simply because I don't have the money. Or because I'd rather spend the money on something I need as opposed to something I want. That's not a good feeling and I never want anyone to come here and feel like that. I want this to be a feel good place where you can come and relax, laugh, get some advice (maybe), learn, grow, and all that jazz. Oh and you can also see me stumble and fumble my way through life cause I still got a lot of figuring out to do. It shall be fun, or at least I hope it will be.

New year, new blog, new me. Maybe?

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So it's been a really long time. You're probably sick of me saying that, but I'm only stating the facts. There are lots of things I said I was going to do and I didn't. Shocker. Like I said in earlier posts, which if you didn't read them then you don't know, but this blog became somewhat like a chore. It was kind of a bad space that I just didn't want to be in. It started off as one thing, then as life hit me with blow after blow, it evolved and so did I. I don't like what my blog has become and that got me thinking. I'm in a totally different space in my life right now. I'm eclectic. Different things make up who I am. I'm inspired by many things, moved by many things. I realized I don't want to be put in a box. I also realized the box I was in was one I indirectly created. So with all that being said, The JaToya Chronicles is back in full effect and it's just what it says it is. It's a chronicle of all the things that make up my life and who I am; the chronicles of JaToya. I'm determined and I really fucking mean it this time, to make this a space that I love. A space that I love coming to and sharing on. A space that is so ME. This time I'm for real. This time I'm actually going to make this blog what it was supposed to be in the first place.