Twist Bun {no bobby pins!}

There are so many wonderful websites out there for doing little girls’ hair.  And I love every hairdo I see.  But I am definitely not a hair mom. 

I think my fingers lack the dexterity needed to accomplish all the twisting, turning, braiding, etc… needed for all those fancy hairdos.  Not to mention, it takes me about a year and half just to complete one of those dos.  Um, yeah, just not my thing.  (I do everything slow… just ask my mom.)

But hey, I’ve got the side ponytail, regular ponytail, flip ponytail, pigtails, and the small french braid across the top (headband style) leading into a ponytail down PAT! 

Yep, I can do a mean ponytail!  ;)

I can also do a twist braid and the occasional bun.  But most of the time, as I’ve mentioned before, you wouldn’t even know that we own a brush.

Seriously.

My kids look like ragamuffins quite often.  K’s hair isn’t too bad.  It’s pretty straight so it lays pretty when it’s brushed.  A and H, however (and I should include myself), have some wicked frizzy waves going on.  It doesn’t look too bad on the girls the day of their shower.  The day after is another story.  They can brush it a hundred times and within 20 minutes it looks like they haven’t touched it.  As for me, if I leave my hair alone straight out of a shower I end up looking like a guy…. with long hair.  It’s scary.  Let’s move on.

So, on a whim a couple weeks ago we did this bun in A’s hair for dance. 

She has joined K in Jazz class playing “Annie” in their ‘Let’s Go to The Movies’ dance.  I originally just did a simple twist braid but she didn’t like that it whipped her in the face when she did turns so I put it into the bun.  The moms at dance were asking how I did her cute bun.  They couldn’t believe I didn’t have a single bobby pin in it. 

Since that day, both A and H have asked for this hairdo several times.  They think it’s so pretty.  And I am asked just about every time we do it how it was done. 

Let me just tell you… it couldn’t be simpler!  You’ll probably laugh at my ‘attempt’ at doing hair and posting it as a blog entry. 

But here goes nothin’.

PLEASE START WITH WET HAIR.  AND THE NEWER THE PONYTAIL HOLDER, THE BETTER. 

First you want to gather all the hair into a regular ponytail.  Then you divide it into two sections, twist them both in the same direction, then twist both pieces together the opposite way.  This creates the twist braid (but you probably already knew that).  Finish it off with a ponytail holder.  Note:  The finished product will look better if you use a much smaller ponytail holder on the end.  I just didn’t have one.

Now take the twist braid and wrap it around the original ponytail, starting at the top and twisting around.  Tuck the end in as well as you can.  Then add another large ponytail holder around the entire bun.  Twist it once and wrap around a second time.  This will secure the bun into place. 

And there you have it!  Fast, easy, and pretty without much fuss at all.  That’s my kind of hairdo! 

Here is H’s twist bun adorned for St. Patrick’s Day.

 

 

Just For Fun… Can’t Believe I’m That Far Behind!!

Umm, yeah… it’s a bad sign when you look back at the pictures on your computer and realize that you forgot not only Father’s Day but your own child’s BIRTHDAY as well.  Not really forgot… just never blogged them.  Let’s not get the two confused.

And those cinnamon rolls I promised… yeah, so, I hope you weren’t holding your breath on those.  ;)  They’re still coming.  Eventually. 

But for now let’s backtrack and take care of some unfinished business.  FATHER’S DAY!  The Birthday post will have to wait… gotta do this chronologically.  I’m weird like that. 

This year we didn’t really buy anything (other than junk food ;)) but we wanted to do something more than just cards and well wishes for Anthony.  I found this idea on Pinterest…… about a billion times.  Seriously, I think I saw hundreds of different versions of this and I just thought it was so stinkin’ cute we had to give it a go.  It didn’t really cost a whole lot.  Just bought the sodas, some candy, nuts, and sunflower seeds.  I already had the scrapbooking supplies so there was no added cost there. 

I had told Anthony a few days before that I was going to get a ‘treat’… SODA!  He requested root beer so off I went.  He had no idea that I needed the bottles for his gift.  Unfortunately, when I went to grab the root beer I realized that the bottles weren’t clear. 

We just couldn’t have that.  So, I bought a different flavor and told him they were out of root beer. 

He was bummed.  So, the next day what does he do?  He goes to store to find that the shelves had been ‘restocked’ with the root beer.  K was with him and tried to convince him not to get them because she knew we still had 3 bottles of red soda at home that needed to be drunk (?).  But, he’s a man…

Men don’t listen to reason  ;)

And so, I forced the kids to share two of the bottles and dumped one down the sink.  Who am I kidding?  I didn’t have to force them.  They would have happily downed the third bottle as well but I just couldn’t bare the thought of that much sugar and red dye in their little bodies. 

That night (the night before Father’s Day) we set to work.  Anthony knew we had a project going on and that he was not allowed upstairs.  He had been banished to the dungeon for the night.  Fortunately for him the ‘dungeon’ is his happy place… there’s a TV, I mean, c’mon! 

This story is getting pretty long.  I know it could have been shorter but remember, this is my journal.  You may not need all the details but I do.  :)

Let’s get to the pictures, shall we?

We had so much fun making this!  And the girls thought writing on the tags was so fun.  Anthony originally took this to work but found that customers were so intrigued by it they wouldn’t leave it alone.  So, three days later it came home again. 

And now, just because I feel the need to share… LOOK AT WHAT B DID TO MY (uh, I mean OUR) COMPUTER!!

Good thing we have a wireless keyboard, eh?

Our Advent Calendar

Before I get into the calendar, I need to announce the winner of the Hand Vibes giveaway… (It’s still Friday ;))

The winner is Briana!  Congratulations!  I hope you enjoy them.  (P.S.  I always got Lipsmackers in my stocking, too!)

And now on to the calendar.

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This year, we are trying to focus more on the Christ aspect of Christmas.  Don’t get me wrong, we are huge fans of Santa Claus around here.  I believe Santa is a very Christ-like ‘being’ and we try to focus on those aspects.  We just wanted to integrate more of Christ himself into our holiday this year. 

That’s why we decided to study the Names of Christ for the days leading up to Christmas.  To be honest, I had no idea that Christ actually has so many names.  I found the idea on a blog that I absolutely love.  Here is the link.  She’s got TONS of other great ideas, too.  Just look around, you’re bound to find something you love there!     

I was able to find some free printable Christmas tags here that I copied and pasted onto Word, printed it out (duh!), then I wrote all the names on each of the 25 tags before cutting them out.  On the back, I wrote all the dates.  So far (last night and tonight), the girls have really enjoyed it.  We’ve learned that Christ, Messiah, and Anointed One all mean the same thing.  They just originate from different languages.

 

As much as I would have loved to have them at a height accessible for all the kids to reach and actually participate in the flipping of each days’ name, I have two little monkeys (C and B) that would have the whole calendar torn apart quicker than I could say… anything, really.  **Sigh** Someday we’ll have nice things.  Maybe. 

But until then, we must keep advent calendars up high. 

You really should go check it out.

**P.S.  Please forgive me for not posting as often lately.  It’s been a crazy few weeks for us and our insane December has just begun but I plan to post every day for the month of December.  Stay tuned, I’ve got lots of recipes, gift ideas, and real life stories to share.** 

Halloween Bouquet & Booing Your Neighbors

This is risky!  I’m taking a huge risk by posting this on my blog.  If only I had a little more sense…  It’s one of those lines I should have stood in while in Heaven but apparently I didn’t. 

You see, I Boo’d my friend/neighbor the other day with this fun Halloween Bouquet.

 

Do you love it?  It’s not quite as beautiful or perfect as the ones that my Mom makes for my kids but it’ll have to do.  She started making these a handful of years ago for my kidlets every October.  My kids look forward to it every year.  Of course they do… it’s chuck full of sugar!

But see, I should have Boo’d someone that I was absolutely positive does NOT read my blog.  That way, I could share this with you and not run the risk of them seeing it on my blog and knowing who Boo’d them.  Ugh!  Silly me.  Well, too late for that.  I have to share and just cross my fingers that she (my friend) doesn’t read my blog.  If so, ummm HI!  It was us.  Sorry I ruined it!  I was smart enough not to choose the people that I know to read my blog.  Do I get any points for that?

Anyway, you know what ‘Booing your neighbor’ means don’t you?  If not, allow me to explain. 

You take a treat to a neighbor (or two) along with a printed ghost (to display in the window to represent the fact that they’ve been Boo’d) and a poem that gives instructions for them to follow (Boo two other neighbors that don’t have Boo signs in the window, along with copies of the poem and ghost).  But you don’t just hand it to them.  You set it on the doorstep, ring the doorbell and RUN!  The kids think it’s great fun.  Good thing too because I know for sure I’d get caught.  I’d either not be fast enough or I’d trip as I ran across the lawn.  I just know it. 

Well, when I went to find the poem online that you are supposed to use, I couldn’t find one that I liked.  I thought they were a little vague in their directions so I made up my own.  You can use it if you’d like to.  Nothing fancy.  Just something I whipped up last minute.

 

You’ve Been Boo’d!!

We like you well enough and all,

But now the season has turned to fall.

 

 Which means that ghosts and goblins are about,

They seem to have found you, there’s no doubt!

 

 Halloween will soon be here,

The ghosts like to spread some neighborhood cheer.

 

 Make two copies of the poem and ghost,

Within two days, or you’ll be toast!

 

 Display the ghost in your window and then,

No one will be able to ‘Boo’ you again.

 

Take two more treats to some ‘Boo’less friends,

Soon the neighborhood will be Boo’d from end to end.

Happy Halloween!!!!!!

I found a printable ghost here for the window.  I just wrote “We’ve Been Boo’d” on it and outlined the ghost in black marker to make it bolder.

I attached it to the bouquet and we did our thing… (you know, the knock and run thing.)  I, personally, did the wait and drive thing around the corner.  Go me! 

So, are you ready to make your own Halloween Bouquet?  It’s great for decoration {it wouldn’t last 5 minutes in my house} or for Booing or whatever you want to use it for. 

Here’s what you’ll need:  Desert Foam (is that a brand or is that really what it’s called?), candy, trinkets, wooden dowels, tape, garland, plastic pumpkin (or other container)



{I forgot to put the garland in the picture.  $3 Halloween garland from Target.}

Tape your candies and trinkets to the dowels.  You could hot glue them if you want to but tape is easier and won’t melt your plastic wrappers or your chocolate.  And you could even paint your dowels if you want.  I didn’t, but you could…



Cut the foam just enough so that it will fit in the bottom of your container.  Then use the excess to fill the front and back.  This will keep it from sliding around in the container as it gets heavy from all the candy and trinket filled dowels.  I had to use about 1 and 1/4 of the foam blocks.

 

Starting with the larger items first, start sticking your dowels into the foam.  Gradually work down to the smaller items.  Push them in as far as you would like.  Have fun with it!

 

The last step is to take your garland and just start weaving it in and out of the dowels to hide the bottom of the pail (no one wants to see the foam and a bunch of sticks…). 



So easy and what a great conversation piece too!  Great table centerpiece if you can keep your kids from trashing it. 

Mr. Pumpkin and I had a fun photo shoot before I sent him away to a new owner.

 

If you were the recipient of Mr. Pumpkin and you are reading this, I am so sorry!  And to all of my neighbors that read my blog, SSSHHHHHH!!!  Don’t tell!!  Maybe they won’t find out ;)

Happy Booing!! 

 

 

 

 

YoYo Headbands {Tutorial}

Look what I did!  I can’t tell you how proud of myself I am.  I know it’s super silly but these kinds of things are the things I usually see and tell myself it’s too complicated.  I’ll never be able to figure it out.  All talk, no walk. 

HA!  Look at me now!  Totally walkin’!

I’ve seen these yoyo headbands floating around the blogosphere recently and I decided it was high time I give it a go.  It was much easier than I had anticipated and only took me about an hour to make. 

I had initially planned on adding a lot of yoyo’s to the headband but I ended up having a few ‘helpers’ in the yoyo making process which slowed things down a bit and I was in a bit of a hurry.  So, while my headband only has three yoyo’s, if you decide to make one, feel free to add as many as you’d like. 

Are you ready to make one?  Oooh!  I’m so excited to show you how I did it…

Keep in mind, I am not saying this is the ‘right’ way or that there is no other way to do it.  This is just my version of the yoyo headband. 

Ok, so first of all you’ll need supplies.  In addition to a needle, thread, scissors, and a hot glue gun, you’ll also need:

{fabric in a variety of coordinating patterns, buttons (or other embellishments), headbands, felt}

Trace circles onto the back of your fabric with a pen.  I used a variety of cups and jars for different sizes of circles.  I even tried a bowl but found that it made WAY too big of a yoyo.

 

Now cut your circles out.  Are ya with me so far?  Easy, right?

One circle at a time, take a threaded needle (color of thread doesn’t matter because it won’t be seen… knot the end of the thread) and sew in loose stiches close to the edge.  (I found that the larger the stitching, the more closed the hole will be at the end.  Smaller stitches make for a more open hole in the center.)

Once you’ve gone around the whole circle, hold the thread right next to the fabric with your left hand… {please ignore the fact that I have islands of nail polish that desperately needs to be removed.  I have no nail polish remover and it’s just no one of those things I think about when I’m at the store, okay?}

Now pull with the needle end of your thread with your right hand.  It will start to curl in on itself.  You want it to curl so the right side of the fabric is on the outside.

 

Pull until it closes.  Now stitch the opening closed and knot it so it won’t come undone.

 

Hot glue your embellishments on top. 

Cut a piece of felt slightly larger than you might need for your ‘layout’ of yoyos.

 

Hot glue the yoyo’s to your felt.

 

Trim excess felt with your scissors.

 

Hot glue the headband to the back of the felt.

Add one more strip of felt to glue to the headband.  This will keep your hair from getting caught in the tacky hot glue residue.  It also helps hold it all together.

TADA!!!!  We did it!! 

And here I am, modeling my new creation.

 

But despite how ravishing I looked in said creation, K was positive it would look even better on her.

 

Ok, so she wins… ;)

Now I’ve gotta make two more for my other two girly whirlies! 

Let me know what you think.

***Also, if you haven’t entered to win the Math Blaster Giveaway, click here to enter!***

 

 

Easy Felt Hair Bows

This is a bow that my daughter learned how to make at an Achievement Days activity for our church.  Since then, she’s been making them for birthday presents for her friends.  They are so easy and fun!

Here’s what you’ll need:  a piece of felt, beads and/or jewels, marker, cup, glue gun, scissors and hair clip.

This was her felt of choice for this particular bow.

You’ll begin by tracing the opening of the cup onto the back of the felt with a marker five times {recognize that cup from the soda can hair bows?}

And now cut them out, just inside the marker lines.  Reserve one for the base.

Run a zigzag pattern of hot glue down the middle of each of the circles.  And fold it in half.

{Hers looks more like a dot but a little more than this is necessary}

Now do the same thing on the half circle of felt and fold in half again.

Do this four times, remember to reserve the fifth one as a base.

Glue each of the pieces onto the base with the point in the middle. 

Cut a small piece of the leftover felt big enough for the clip to hold onto.  Run a zigzag pattern of glue over it and glue to the underside of the hair bow.

Add a jewel…

…and some beads… and VOILA!!  So easy, a kid can do it!!