Are you a Snotsucker?

Now before you start passing judgment here me out.  

This is the NoseFrida.

Better known as the Snotsucker.

And if you have a baby or toddler I suggest you buy one...immediately.  

Because this thing is archaic.

The Nosefrida is a plastic syringe you place gently just inside your child's nostril.  Attached to the syringe is a tube with a replacable filter.  You suck the tube and all of the mucus from your child's nose shoots into the syringe.

Yes its gross.

Yes you look like a freak while doing it.

But it WORKS!! And if you are like me you will do anything to unplug your babies nose when they have a cold.  They can't breathe, which means you can't sleep and its all a vicious cycle. So at 2 am when your poor stuffy 6 month old is up crying because they are congested do what I do:

1. Drop two drops of Little Noses (or pediatric saline drops) into one nostril.

2. Place nosefrida against that nostril

3. SUCK SUCK SUCK
4. Repeat on other nostril

5. Clean Nosefrida and change filter

6. Smile because your baby can breathe

7. Go back to sleep

The Nosefrida is available online and in Utah you can buy it at Funfinity and Buy Buy Baby for $15.99.

I am a Snotsucker and proud of it.

Are you?

Product Review: Organix Moroccan Argon Oil Conditioner

Time for another product review!  This week I went in search of a new conditioner that would detangle my mess of curls.  You already know about my love for Herbal Essence Hello Hydration conditioner. The downside to that conditioner is that it is not a sulfate free conditioner.  I only use sulfate free shampoo because it does not dry out your hair. Sulfate free conditioner is also less drying, but in my experience does not work as well as traditional conditioners.  It usually does not give your hair the slip you need for the comb to gently glide through your hair during the detangling process.

Back to the product review.  After doing some research online, this conditioner got rave reviews and was available at my local Target for $7.99! Sounded like a win win solution to me so I purchased it with haste.  After shampooing my hair with Giovinni 50/50 Balanced Hydrating shampoo (MY FAVORITE!!) I sectioned my hair into 4 clips and slathered it on. The directions said to leave the conditioner on your hair for 3-5 minutes before rinsing. I left it on for 10 minutes because I have extremely thick hair and wanted to give it plenty of time to work its magic.  After 10 minutes I started the detangling process...and this is where my disappointment began. Let me start by saying my hair was extremely tangled so I knew I was in for a fight. However if you are going to be my go to conditioner you need to be with me at my worst.  This conditioner did not work for me at all.  While it is a thick conditioner and glides on easily it has no slip at all.  After applying more than half of the bottle to only 2 sections of my hair I was still fighting with tangles.  For the remaining two sections I ended up rinsing out the Organix conditioner and applying my trusty Hello Hydration and the detangling process was MUCH easier.  While I do not like this product for a detangling conditioner, I think it may have some promise as a deep conditioner.  Next week I am going to deep condition with this product and my heat cap to see if it can redeem itself. If that fails too, I'm giving it to Kelsey. 

So for right now this guy does not get the Brown Girl seal of approval.  Boo. I was really hopeful!!  If you have had success with this product please let me know! Or if you try it let me know your experience! 

TURN OFF SOCIALCAM SHARING

"Mom eats 3-week old son, says she didn't mean to"

"Man eats half of other mans face"

"Hidden Camera Girlfriend Swap"

Really people. Look its America I get it. You have the right to watch whatever vulgar, disgusting smut you want for your entertaining pleasure. But for the love of all things holy, turn off the sharing to Facebook in the Socialcam app!  I really don't want to know that you are watching a drunk girls gone wild video or worst a video of a cannibalistic man. If you want to fill your mind with that garbage you go right ahead but why should my timeline be clogged up with your vulgarity??

Watch whatever you want to. Watch it as many times as you want to. All I am asking is that you follow these simple steps to keep what you watch private. Or if you want to explain to Aunt Lucy why you like watching half naked woman wrestle you go right ahead and keep sharing.

Instructions to Turn off Socialcam Sharing:
*provided by Becky Worley*

Go to Facebook and on the left hand column under apps double-click Socialcam

Once in the Socialcam app itself, in the upper right hand corner, choose Settings.

Then in Settings, scroll down to "Auto Sharing" and unclick both the Facebook options. Scroll down again and hit SAVE.

Now save yourself some embarrassment and stop sharing your socialcam videos.

Please and thank you. 

Baby soft hands and feet

My favorite comment ever is when someone tells me I have soft hands.

I am obsessed with soft skin.

I love the look of it.

I love the feel of it.

My husband thinks my soft skin is pretty great too...

However baby soft skin only seems to only come naturally to babies.  Yes there are a few of you lucky people walking around with soft supple skin that you have to do nothing to achieve.  For the rest of us, soft skin is something we have to work on.

Dried out hands and feet is always a battle for me.  In the winter my hands are extremely dry from the cold and in the summer the bottoms of my feet are extremely dry from wearing sandals constantly.  And living in this desert climate certainly does not help. Never fear though, I have found 2 simple solutions that eradicate dry hands and feet!

Awww the magic combination. When my hands are feeling extra dry, I slather on 100% natural shea butter before bed and then put on my moisturizing gloves. When I wake up in the morning my hands feel smoother and softer than my 9 month old baby!! I purchased the gloves from the dollar store but I have seen them everywhere. They are extremely inexpensive so I recommend grabbing a few pair.  The shea butter I purchased at Good Earth, however they also sell it at Whole foods.  Beware you want to purchase 100% natural shea butter; it has a sand like consistency initially but as you work it into your hands it turns into an oily texture.  This same trick works for your feet using shea butter, vaseline or heavy hand cream/lotion and white socks.  Slather up your feet, put on the white socks and drift off to sleep. In the morning your feet will be soft and smooth.  If you have extremely dry and cracked feet, you may need to do this several nights in a row before your feet are crack free.  Once they are soft and smooth, doing the sock trick once a week will maintain your new baby soft look.

If you do not have moisturizing gloves you can use white socks on your hands!  I do the hand trick at least once a week in the winter to help prevent dry hands and combat any cracks I may get do to excessive hand washing.  Also, if you do not have shea butter, you can substitute cocoa butter, vaseline, any heavy hand cream, or lotion/body butter.  I prefer the thick stuff (shea butter or vaseline) but I think the key is keeping them covered all night to let the moisture slowly soak in.

I hope this trick helps you as much as it has helped me! Let me know if it works for you!!

Should the First Lady go natural?

I came across this picture today on Google and nearly lost my mind.

Michelle Obama rockin natural hair?! Could it be so???

Apparently not.

The image was photo shopped back in March and the Twitterverse and blogs were all a-buzz.  I of course missed it because I had a 6 month old at the time. Oh the joys of life with an infant...

Even though it was discovered that this picture was nothing more than a photoshop image, it still gave me a moment of pause.  Why won't Michelle Obama wear her natural hair?  For every black person you see with long, silky, shiny, straight hair, there are countless hours of blowdrying, flat ironing, beauty shop sitting, or weave sew ins that you don't see.  Why the fuss? Why not embrace what is naturally yours?

I struggle with this issue.  I love my naturally curly hair but I still feel most "beautiful" when I take the time to straighten it.  Since childhood, we are subconsciously taught that straight hair equals beautiful hair? How are we taught this? Every TV show, commercial, magazine cover, and advertisement has a beautiful thin woman with straight hair smiling at us. Most of the prominent black woman in our society will not wear their hair in a natural state. Is it because they too want to fit into traditional beauty standards?

I would love to see Michelle Obama where her hair in its natural state. I think it would empower black/brown woman and girls everywhere to embrace what the Lord has given us and be proud of our hair whether its curly, kinky, straight, or somewhere in between.  I'm not going to hold my breath though. The only curls we will ever see on the First Lady's head will come from a CHI curling iron.

Yes black people get sunburned.

This is Kelsey.

She is my 9 year old, smarty pants, cheerleader, dancer, funny girl.

Love her little guts.

Today while Kelsey was at cheer, a few of the girls were all talking about how sun burned they got this weekend in St. George.  Kelsey said, "I was in St. George all weekend and I didn't get burned."  Kelsey's cheerleading coach said, "well that's because you are black." Um hello ignorant. Let's clear up some facts shall we?

Fact number one: Kelsey is bi-racial not black.  Much like our President (love him or hate him) who is bi-racial, and not black.  Just because they both are brown does not exclude the fact that they both have a parent who is white.  

Fact number two: Black/Brown people can and do get sunburned.  So please protect your darker skinned children the same way you would protect your fair skinned children, by applying sunblock.

Fact number three: Kelsey did not avoid sun burn because she is bi-racial (black per her coach). She avoided sun burn because she has a mother who puts sunscreen on her!

While I realize that people with darker skin tone do not burn as easily or quickly as our fair skinned friends, it is still possible for us as a brown community to burn. More importantly we are not immune to the harmful UV rays that cause skin cancer.  

So yes black people can get sunburned. And yes it hurts and yes it peels.

Any more questions?

Once again, stepping off my soapbox....

Product Review: Yes to Carrots Nourishing Body Butter

Last week I purchased this Yes to Carrots Nourishing body butter.  You already know about my loving adoration for The Body Shop Body Butter, but since the closest Body Shop location is 30 minutes from my house I am always looking for another option that is readily available at a local Target or Walmart.  I picked this up from Target for $12.99.  Judging by the size of the jar and the amount I used everyday (about a palm sized amount for my entire body) I would say this product would last me approximately 3-4 months.  Yes to Carrots is a 98% natural product and is paraban free so it is totally safe to use on children.

Positives: It is reasonably priced as far as good quality bod butter goes. Again I realize a large bottle of Suave body lotion costs $5.99 but if you are a fellow person of color you need something with more staying power. It glides onto your skin very easily and is quickly absorbed.  You don't feel greasy or oily after and you are thorougly moisturized all day long.

Negatives: I am not a fan of the scent.  It sort has an almost baby powder aroma to it. The consistency is more lotion-y and less butter-y, know what I mean? Well in case you don't, some body butters are very firm in their consistency, almost like semi softened butter.  I enjoy that consistency far more than a more lotion-y type of consistency.  And finally this body butter does not leave my skin glowing.  My sister once told me that my legs are a shiny as a video vixen (hot girl on a music video wearing very little except a bikini) after applying my trusty Body Shop Almond Body Butter. While I am very far from a video vixen, I do like to have shiny legs.

Bottom Line: I will definitely keep this in the arsenal.  I would buy this product if a trip to the Body Shop was not in my near future and I would definitely recommend it to a friend!!

Congratulations to Melanie Brough who is the winner of a Yes to Carrots body butter! Let me know how you like it Melanie!!

What the ash???

Apparently Kels missed my blog regarding my feelings about ashy knees....

How to get skin that glows

Staying in the topic of dry/ashy skin, here are a few tips to try to keep your skin moisturized and ash free!!

Brown Girl's Guide to Ash Free skin:

1. MOISTURIZE DAILY.  This may seem like a big duh, but believe it or not lotion/body butter is not a part of everyone's daily ritual. Would you leave the house without brushing your teeth? Of course not. Think of moisturizer the same way-never leave home without it.

2. Do not rub your skin with a towel!! Pat your skin lightly with a towel after you exit the shower.

3. Moisturize as soon as you exit the shower.  Your lotion/body butter will absorb into your skin much easier and faster if you rub it on while your pores are still open.

4. Exfoliate weekly! I use a body scrub twice a week two remove dead skin and give my skin a glow. 

5. Give your elbows, knees and ankles a little extra love.  Don't skimp on the lotion in these crucial areas!

6. Keep hand lotion in multiple locations: your purse, the kitchen, the car, the diaper bag, etc.  You should apply hand lotion multiple times a day; I always wipe the residual lotion left in my hands onto my elbows just to make sure they aren't ashy!!

7. Stay hydrated!!!!! All the lotion in the world will not help unless you remember to drink plenty of water each day! A minimum of 64 ounces is a must!!

I hope these tips help you/your children stay moisturized and keep ash AWAY!

Pet Peeve #1

How much do I hate the term "ashy skin"?

For those of you don't know what ashy skin is (and there might be one or two of you), it is very dry skin that has a white/gray coloring that resembles ash (very similar to the ash after something has been burned).  Ashy skin is most prevalent around the knees, elbows, legs and arms.  Our white friends also suffer from ashy skin, however it is far less noticeable on them simply because their skin is so fair.

Is your skin ashy? Well let's try a little experiment shall we?

Take your finger nail and try to write your name on your arm using only your nail.  If you can read your name on your arm, then congratulations, you are officially ashy.

Obviously there are varying degrees of dry/ashy skin.  Most people living in Utah are going to suffer from dry skin because the climate is so exceptionally dry.  However, it unnerves me when I see young brown skinned children whose skin is so visibly dry you can literally see their ashy knees from across the parking lot at Target.  Now before you get offended, I already know you are going to say "but I put lotion on little Jessie every day! I don't know why her skin is always so ashy!!" If you are a person of brownish/blackish skin, regular old Suave lotion is not going to do anything to keep your skin moisturized. Your standard Aveeno daily skin lotion will help your skin for all of 30 minutes and then they ash will begin to creep back. You need to arm yourself with a more serious line of defense...

Body Butter.

Yes that's right I just changed your life. Body butter is the only solution I have found to combating dry/ashy skin in this very dry state. Just like conditioner, all body butter is not created equal. Here are a few suggested brands I love and trust that will help moisturize your skin and keep you ash free!!

1. The Body Shop Body Butter!!!!!!!! If you have not tried this holy grail of moisturizer, get your keys and go get it right now.  This moisturizer has changed my life. I smooth it on daily after my shower. It absorbs beautifully into my skin and keeps me moisturized and ash free for at least 24 hours.  I have been using this product for years and have converted many friends and family to be proud Body Shop Junkies just like me!

Pros: Works AMAZINGLY WELL; comes in a large assortment of fragrances; they have amazing body washes and scrubs that are soap free (another must to keeping your skin moist); absorbs into the skin quickly.

Cons: It is a little pricey, they typically cost $19 per jar and the jar lasts for about 2 months. That being said they run awesome 2 for 1 deals multiple times a year. This product is typically only sold at The Body Shop stores or online; The Body Shop locations in Utah are at University Mall, The Gateway, and Fashion Place.  Occasionally your can find it at T J Maxx but that is hit or miss.

2. Burts Bees Body Butter. I have tried this product several times before and love the way it works on my girls skin.  Its consistency is less creamy than the body shop body butter so it does not smooth on or absorb as quickly.  That being said it does keep your skin moist all day without having to reapply.

Pros: Available at Target and Walmart everywhere; inexpensive; great for kids.

Cons: I do not love the smell; does not glide onto the skin as smoothly as other products.

3. Yes to Carrots Body Butter. I have heard great reviews of this product and will be trying it out this week (check back for a full review next week).  The first person to leave me a comment on this post will win a free Yes to Carrots Body Butter! I only ask that you let me know how you like it!!

So if you know someone with ashy kids or they themselves struggle with dry skin, pass the word along!! Body butter is the solution!!

Email me!

Hey guys, If you have a question/comment or just want to become BFF's with me, send me an email! Browngirlinutah@gmail.com Talk to you soon!!

Why I hate the word Mulatto

This brown girl is married to a very white boy.

Like blond haired, blue eyed, gets burned without SPF 60 white boy.

We have 3 brownish daughters-each varying in their degree of brown.

Do these girls at all resemble this?

This is a mulatto.  The word mulatto derives from the word mula which is a hybrid of a horse and a donkey, better known these days as a mule. In recent years, it has become a term meaning a person with one black and one white parent.  However, I will never refer to my children with a word thats true origin means mule.

Say biracial. Say mixed if you must although mixed always makes me think of mixing cake batter-but I am weird. Whatever you do, before you say the word mulatto, think of this picture of a mule and how it in no way resembles a beautiful human being.

Okay stepping off my soapbox now.

Eco Styler Gel

I'm in St. George this week visiting my lovely parents. While talking to my mom in her laundry room I discovered a mammoth bucket of hair gel. Like a bucket so big it has a handle...no lie. And to top it all off this Goliath sized tub of hair gel is only $8.99!!!! The gel is called Eco Styler gel and my mom swears by this product. I conducted a short interview with her to see why her love for this seemingly simple hair gel was so great.

Q & A with the Brown Girl's Mom:

BG: Why do you love this product?
Mom: It's inexpensive and it works!

BG: Where did you learn about the product from?

Mom: That’s a good question! I think I learned about it from you. You tried it and did not love it. We have two different types of curly hair, and it works well for my hair.

BG: How do you use it in your hair?

Mom: I mainly only use it once a week. I wash, condition my hair, put morracon oil in it, apply the gel from root to tip in small sections and two strand twist each section.  Once my hair is dry, I take the twist out and with a wide tooth comb I comb my hair from the root up to remove the parts from all over my hair.  And I am set for 7 days!! I love it!!

BG: How much does it cost?

Mom: Very inexpensive! It is $2.39 for a 8 ounce jar and $8.99 for 5 lbs! 

BG: Where do you purchase it? 

Mom: I purchase it basically everywhere: Rite Aid, CVS, Sally Beauty Supply, and any drug/beauty supply store.

BG: How long does it last?

Mom: The 1 lb jar lasted for 6 months. However, the longer my hair gets the more product I need.

BG: Would you recommend it to a friend?

Mom: I would and I do!! I have converted so many people to natural hair with this gel! Mainly because if you do not have a good curl pattern, you can two strand twist your hair and have the appearance of curly hair! I get compliments all over the country!! I love this product!

I have used this gel a couple of times and have never been impressed.  It does not bond my curls together into one uniform pattern. That being said this is an excellent styling gel if you braid or twist your hair.  Apply this product to soaking wet hair before you braid/twist. Allow your braid to completely dry and then unbraid your hair and you will have waves that hold!  Try it for yourself! You will not find a cheaper styling gel with such amazing hold!

Conditioner Basics...

I could wax poetic for days about how strongly I feel about conditioner.

I love it.

It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I pop the top and inhale the sweet aroma deeply.

But all conditioners are not created equal.

If you are a fellow brown skinned girl you probably already have a very strong attachment to your favorite brand of conditioner. If you don't have a favorite conditioner, you need to arm yourself with one. Right now.

Why is conditioner so important for black/biracial hair? Black hair is typically very dry and if you live in Utah or any another dry, desert climate you need to try and moisturize your hair as much as possible to prevent breakage (when your hair breaks off from the ends).  Dry hair is brittle; it looks and feels unhealthy. If you notice your (or your childs) hair feels like a brillo pad, its time to get serious about your conditioner.

The first question you want to ask yourself is: Quality or Quanity?

Go to any beauty supply store and you will see shelves upon shelves of conditioner options. They promise to deeply moisturize your hair, detangle your hair, help you lose 20 lbs...ok I made that last one up. The reason I point this out is so you will not be influenced by the catch phrases on these shiny bottles! Fact number 1: you need A LOT of conditioner with black hair.  The reason you need so much conditioner is you want to do all of your detangling with a wide tooth comb while your hair is sopping wet with conditioner in the shower.  This is the least damaging way to comb through your hair. Since you need so much conditioner, you probably do not want to spend $35 per bottle for a fancy high end product. But hey, if you are rolling in money go right ahead and treat yourself! My suggestion is start with a few of the cheaper bottles and see which ones work best for your hair. After you have established what works best, and how to properly use the product, go right ahead and splurge on that $35 bottle!!

If you learn nothing else from this blog, please remember that conditioner is your gateway to good hair. You can have the holy grail of hair gels and it will do nothing for you unless your hair is properly conditioned and detangled. When trying to access how well a condtioner is going to work for you/your child, follow these few short steps:

1. Drench your hair with water in the shower. I suggest standing under the stream for at least 2 minutes to make sure every strand of hair is sopping wet.

2. Shampoo your hair-if needed- with an organic/sulfate free/no poo shampoo. Confused? We will talk on a future post about the importance of using organic shampoo. For now just use what you've already got in the shower.

3. Section your hair into small, workable sections and clip.

4. Apply conditioner to each section of hair.  You want enough conditioner that when you squeeze your hair conditioner falls to the shower floor in globs. And yes I am serious.

5. Carefully comb each section of hair with a wide tooth comb.  Start from the bottom of your hair and work your way to the roots.  If you encounter a particularly tangled section, add more conditioner to the tangle, and quickly run your hair through the shower stream of water.  Then, gently, begin combing your hair again.

6. Completely rinse your hair.

7. Thoroughly rinse the shower floor so the next person to take a shower doesn't break their neck slipping on conditioner. This may have happened to my husband a time or two...or 65....but who's counting.

If the conditioner is a keeper it will have good slip.  Good slip is when the comb easily glides or "slips" through your hair.  Good conditioner will practically melt tangles away for you.  Here are a list of a few inexpensive conditioners to try out first:

-Herbal Essence Hello Hydration- this is my go to conditioner. I literally buy this conditioner in a jug so big it has a pump. And I keep several on hand for emergencies. So if the world erupts into chaos, my hair will still look fierce. Available at stores everywhere in the hair care aisle.

-Aussie Moist Conditioner- this stuff is cheap and best of all it actually works well as a combing conditioner. Available at stores everywhere in the hair care aisle.

-Giovanni 50/50 Balanced Hydrating Calming Conditioner- this is not my favorite conditioner, however, my mother loves it.  I LOVE the Giovanni shampoo (details coming in a future post) but the conditioner never stood up to my love for Hello Hydration (HH). This line of product is available at Walmart in the make up aisle where they keep the body butters and organic hair care, and Target in the specialty organic hair care aisle (usually near the Burts Bees products).  You can also find this product at Whole Foods and Good Earth.

-Herbal Essence Totally Twisted- Confession: this used to be my most beloved conditioner. I was obsessed with it and told everyone I know about my love affair with this product. Then the manufacturer changed the ingredients and it never worked the same wonders on my hair.  However, in a pinch I will still use this as a combing conditioner and others have told me they love the new formula. Try it for yourself and see. This product is available at stores everywhere.

Please leave me a comment if you have any questions about conditioning your hair! Or if you have a conditioner you love and I simply must try it I want to know about it!!

Until next time...later gators.

Why blog about hair?

I'm a Jersey girl born and raised.

I moved to Utah in 1999 to go to college.

I felt like a speck of pepper floating in a glass of milk. People of color were few and far between.

So the first time I was cornered in a grocery store by a white woman with an adopted black daughter I didn't know what to expect.

Did she want to bond with me to help her daughter be connected with someone of her own color?

Did she want to know how I liked living in Utah?

Did she want to know if I felt alone being the only person of color for miles?

NO!

She wanted to know about my hair! How I styled it, what products I used, where she could take her daughter to have her hair done like mine, and on and on. I spoke with the woman for 15 minutes and tried to arm her with as much information as possible. She was grateful but unfortunately still confused. Over the years this situation has happened countless times. Everywhere from restaurants to Target, people with adopted children/foster children/biracial children stop me and ask how to care for ethnic hair. I have had mothers cry because they are at a loss. They want their daughters to look beautiful but they are unable to figure out what to do with their hair!

I understand the issue...really I do.

If your hair looks like this

And your daughters hair looks like this

There is bound to be some confusion!

Enter Tai...thats me ;-)

I am not a hair dresser nor have I gone to beauty school. I do however have extremely thick, long curly hair. I have had a relaxer, and then over a two year period transitioned to natural hair (relaxer and chemical free hair). I have tried as many hair products as I can get my hands on to see how they work with my hair, my children's hair and any one else's hair I am assisting. I have learned tips and tricks to make ethnic hair manageable and beautiful!

This blog is designed to arm you with information to try and make it easier for you to manage your child's hair. It will take you several "trial and error" sessions to find out what will work best for your daughter, but with time and patience, you will succeed!

Please post and leave me any questions you may have. I am just starting this blog and would love to be as helpful as possible!!

Life as the 1 percent...

WELCOME!!

I am so glad you have taken the time to stop by my blog. Hopefully we will become friends and you will visit often!

This blog is to uplift, support and inspire fellow brown skinned Utahans. As of the latest U. S. Census Bureau data, African Americans make up 1.8% of the Utah population. And if you can believe it that number has increased since I moved here in 1999! It has taken me almost a decade to understand, know, and love Utah.  The people are kind and compassionate. The scenery is beautiful.  The weather is...well crappy 8 months of the year if you hate cold and snow like I do.  But hey you can't have everything.

This blog is meant to be informative. I have spent years trying to keep my hair healthy, skin hydrated and acne clear in this desert climate. If you, like me, struggle to find stores that carry the hair and body products we need as a brown skinned community look no further than this blog! I have spent years driving all over this state to find the skin/hair care products I need and will supply you with all the information I have accumulated! Each week I will be trying out new products and posting reviews about them. If you know of a product I simply must try PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT IT!! I am a product junkie! My closet looks like Sally Beauty Supply. I will also be giving away all the products after I try them out, so if you want them leave me a comment!

So whether you are black, white, brown or any other color on the human color wheel, WELCOME!!!!