Box Veil Style and Brick Veil Style

I'm starting this off with an admission, I cheated a bit. This is a crazy busy weekend and There was no way to get two heads washed and styled between Saturday night and Sunday, so I did Little B's hair on a sleepy, rainy Friday afternoon. I thought there would be some jealousy between the girls since I've never styled one and not the other, and Little B got beads but it was all fine. Who would've thought?

We haven't done a veil style in ages so I decided to do some and show you the two different ways to do accomplish the style. I started by doing a clarifying wash for both girls with a teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in a cup of warm water. If you do a clarifying baking soda wash, be sure to have your child cover her face with a towel or wash cloth as you wash. I did this wash for myself the other day and got some of the mix in my mouth- bleecchhh. I followed up with my beloved AOHSR conditioner and detangled.

Little B is wearing the veil style in a box or block pattern. I made rows from ear to ear and then sectioned the hair into boxes. The next row followed the same pattern with the parts matching up. I banded the bases of each box in the first row, added a bead, then divided the hair in two. I braided each section and brought it back to the section behind and to the side. With the block pattern, the braids will criss-cross. In the next row, the hair from the braids is incorporated and banded at the base and the process is repeated. I ended with regular box braids with beads at the end. I ended up pulling the box braids back into a ponytail so I didn't have to remove the braids for sleeping and I loved the way it looked, so we rolled with it.

 

  

 

Little R is wearing the veil style in a brick pattern. The process is pretty much the same, except the braids are not crossed. With the brick pattern, the braids are drawn back diagonally but don't have to cross each other (but they can if you like). It put a few box braids in the back. I was going to end Little R's box braids with beads but ran out of time. Instead, I put the box braids in a ponytail to match her sister's.

 

And there you have it. It was a relief to concentrate on one girl at a time, especially since we have to head out to the mall this afternoon to replace the three pairs of the girls' jeans that wore out this week alone.

For those of you with more than one kiddo to style, do you do all the hair on the same day or break it up?

Saturday Spotlight

Good Morning Ladies! Today we are featuring Mommy L and her darling Little T. This is an adorable cornrow/ponytail braid combination. I really like this not only because it protects the hairline from a lot of stress, but because it's so creative.

This is "T", she is 2 and I normally do her hair on Saturdays. Just a few weeks ago I have started to do her hair during the daytime because I've noticed less whining and crying during our process.  I used to wait until bedtime so she would fall asleep while I did her hair, but I would be up until 1 or 2 am! This style took 2.5 hours, mainly because I am a fairly new braider (started July 2009) and I had to take the left braid out at least twice before I completed the entire braid!  I washed and conditioned her hair with Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo and Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Conditioner, I left the conditioner in to assist with detangling and to add moisture.

I piled up our normal pillows on the floor in front of her bed, sat her between my legs and got started. First, I parted 3 sections ear to ear and then 1 part from forehead to nape and sectioned them off for ponytails.Then, I parted the hair where I was going to put the cornrows. I put the ponytails in first with rubber bands that I soaked in olive oil (2 per ponytail) and smoothed her edges with a brush and Smooth and Shine Conditioning Gel, that allowed the hair to be out of the way while I was cornrowing. I wrapped the end of the cornrow around the last ponytail and secured it with a single rubber band. I braided the ponytails in multiple braids (3 in the back and 4 in the middle and front). Then added beads. I added the flower ponytail holders when it was time for school.

I entertained her with The Tale of Despereaux movie and a couple of episodes of Sponge Bob and Handy Manny (her brother wanted to watch TV by this time, lol). She was also busy doing her doll's hair with a comb and a spray bottle of water. I gave her apple juice and cheetos puffs (per request) as a snack (I had orange hand prints on my sweat pants from where she was holding on my legs when we were done!) She did fall asleep for about 30 minutes, but at least their were no tears!

You can see more of Little T's style and Mommy L's work at KurlyTspot. Thank you for letting us take a peek at your skills and your sweet girl Mommy L!

Show off your style! Whether you are a styling beginner or you've been doing it for awhile, we'd love to see your creations! Loose styles and boy's hair are fabulous too! 

Just email me at joyfulmom@happygirlhair.com with a few pictures, the first initial of your little one's name, how long the style took to complete, products/tools used, and anything else you want to share.

Style Update

Last night, my husband was in charge of supervising the girls' showers, getting them lotioned up, and helping them into PJs while I did the dinner dishes and walked the dog. When Wally and I came into the house after our walk, I noticed a beautiful scent of citrus throughout the house. I'd asked my husband to use my Alaffia lotion on the girls and I as I sniffed the air I thought, "Huh, that lotion smells a bit different."

I went upstairs and found the girls snuggled under the covers waiting to hear a bedtime story. I had taken Little B's ponytails down for her shower, so her twists could get really wet and hang straight again. While my husband started reading, I went into the girls' bathroom and grabbed the Alaffia Hair Lotion so I could give Little B's twists some extra moisture. The bottle felt awfully light.

"Honey, which lotion did you put on the girls?"

"The Alaffia lotion in their bathroom. It's what you told me to use!"

"Honey, that's hair milk."

My sweet husband tried. He really did. But he also used up a quarter of a bottle of just-purchased and not inexpensive hair milk, and their skin isn't all that moisturized. Oh well, I guess that's what happens when I buy different products that are packaged exactly the same and I don't give explicit instructions.

Anyway, Little B is wearing her twists down today and Little R is still sporting her zigzag part braids. I have pretty much left Little B's hair alone all week, just giving a quick spritz for moisture and making sure her scalp is moisturized. I have redone Little R's braids daily, adding a moisturizer every time I rebraid.

 

 Notice the girls have their jackets and backpacks 

on and are heading out the door for school.

It's been one of those mornings. 

Creating a Hairstyle Memory Book

A short time ago, Happy Girl Hair reader Letty (Hi Letty!) made this comment when discussing her daughter's styles, "She got to the point of asking me to take a picture every time she gets her hair done. Good or Bad?" That got me thinking about memory, instilling pride in our girls, bonding, and how soon they will be grown. I think the request for photos is a positive thing and I have an idea on what to do with all of those photos.

Since starting this site, I've taken thousands of photos of my girls' hair. Thousands! And looking back over some of them I realized I captured more than just styles. Those styles represent so much time spent together, my girls sitting between my knees, my hands in their hair, laughing, talking, arguing, being entertained together. Those photos show their pride in how they look, and remind me of how good I felt every time I accomplished something new.

To celebrate and preserve the memories from this time, I'm going to make a little book for each girl, and one for myself. I don't know what form they will take, maybe they will be little scrapbooks, maybe fancy printed photo books, or maybe they will be as simple as 4x6 photo book with handwritten captions on the back of each photo.

Whatever form they take, they will include photos of smiling faces showing off new hair styles. And they will also include the one thing I don't yet have enough of - photos of us sitting together doing hair. Even if I have to hold the camera at arm's length to capture it myself, I will record those moments.

When I give them to Little B and Little R, I hope they will help them recall the good times, the not so fun times, the love, and the laughs we've had. I hope as they grow, they'll look at those photos and be proud. I hope they'll see their beauty.

I can use my book when I just can't think a style for the week, or when I need a little creative inspiration. But mostly, I hope my book will help preserve my memories of this unique mother and daughter experience, the fleeting intimacy of caring for young children, and love.


What do you think about making a photo book to help celebrate and document your sweetie's natural hair? Have you made one? How did you put it together?

Loose Hair!

Last week we had some great discussion on loose hair and there was some interest on how we care for loose hair in the morning. On Saturday, I made a little video showing the process for each girl. I slowed down just a bit so I could explain what I was doing- and I hadn't had coffee yet. This usually takes about three minutes per girl.

While doing Little R's hair, I meant to mention that some people like to some detangling in the evening and then braid or twist the hair and then undo the braids or twists in the morning. But I forgot. Blame it on no coffee.

I Have To Share This!

I rarely write off topic, but I'm all about sharing resources and helping our kids excel and so I need to share this with you. Last week, the girls came home with homework that included two pages full of single digit addition problems. They are only in kindergarten, and although they have come home with a few problems before, this surprised me. I know they haven't done much addition yet and I didn't know how we'd get through it.

Serendipitously, as I was wondering how to tackle this, LosAngelista, who writes a fabulous blog called LosAngelista's Guide to the Pursuit of Happiness, tweeted about Khan Academy. (Thank you, LosAngelista!) This is a collection of over 1100 free videos on You Tube that explain all sorts of math and science concepts. Sal Khan has degrees from MIT and Harvard and has made these videos to teach the way he wishes he was taught. They are wonderful and they are free!

I watched the basic addition video and was very impressed. He has a terrific way of explaining the idea and making it so accessible. Even the very basic single digit addition video is not clownish, goofy, or condescending in any way. It works for kids and adults alike. I had the girls watch it and then we did their pages of problems with no hassle. Here is the basic addition video:



I think the videos available here are going to be an important part of my girls' education. I don't my girls to fear math, or be intimidated by it the way I was. And if we stick with this, they won't be. I am beyond grateful to Sal Khan. (Thank you, Mr. Khan!)

While I'm at at, I also want to share a great free reading program we used when the girls were little. I credit Starfall with helping my girls recognize letters and sounds earlier than many of their peers. Working with Starfall, both of my girls were learning to read long before they reached kindergarten.We tried other programs, thinking that those that cost something must be better. Not so. This one rocks. We still sing the little songs to recall short vowel sounds or the rule of silent e. Kids can even learn the alphabet through this site.

I want to encourage you to check out both resources. If your kids are too young, bookmark them or write the addresses down. They may make a world of difference for you child one day.

Gathered Twists and2 Braids with a Zigzag

There are times when it just makes sense to wash and detangle hair the night before hair day. But I've rarely been able to do it successfully. It's just really, really hard to wash someone else's hair while they are in the shower and I'm standing outside the shower.

Yesterday, I took a slightly different approach. I added a good amount of conditioner into dry hair, massaging the scalp as I worked it in. I covered it with a shower cap and then rinsed it out at the end of their shower. It worked beautifully. I detangled as usual while they did their homework. I know many moms are worried about the detangling process after loose hair, but I think keeping the hair well moisturized throughout the time the hair is loose is the key to easy detangling. Little B's hair took 25 minutes to detangle, which is pretty normal. I put Little R's hair in two braids and Little B's in big random twists to keep it detangled overnight.

This morning we got up, had some pancakes (again!) and decided it would be the morning of Shauns. While I did hair we watched Shaun the Sheep, which had everyone laughing, except for me because I couldn't see the TV.

Then we watched the Men's Halfpipe competition so the girls could see Shaun White win gold. Is it weird that I really want someone to give him a bottle of good conditioner and a copy of Curly Girl?

Anyway, while all eyes but mine were glued to the TV, I took Little B's big twists out, spritzed her hair and added hair milk. I then sectioned off a few rows in the very front for some side cornrows. I did my best to make them wavy, but it only came out so-so. I put the rest of her hair into small, random, rope twists. I usually part hair for twists, but today I felt like trying something new.

I think I used pomade as my styling aid for the twists and cornrow, but by that time, we were on to the halfpipe finals and I was less aware of what I was doing with hair. I did gather the twists up into two ponytails and remembered to use holders that vaguely matched the shirt she would wear later.

 

I wanted to do something pretty simple for Little R because she has been having a bout of cranky-pants lately. I parted her hair down the middle using a zigzag pattern and then attempted the same ear to ear. The ear to ear part came out a little wonky; it was a bit too far back but I went with it. I took the hair in each section and made one big braid.

There. Hair day is done.


How are you styling hair this week? And what's your favorite winter Olympic event?

Saturday Spotlight!

Mommy C and two and a half year old Little T are just beginning to share hair time as Little T's hair gets long enough to style. I love these little twists. There is something so joyful about big, colorful barrettes at the end of braids and twists. Read what Mommy C has to say about this style below the photo.

T sat still for about 45 minutes. Diego and Dora are a fabulous pair when it comes to "hair time".  They capture Little T's attention from start to finish.  First, I condition with Black Vanilla Hair Smoothie (Carol's Daughter).  I use watered down Taliah Waajid Mist Bodifier to comb-through and prep, and Taliah Waajid Lock It Up for the twists. I am still definitely a beginner, but having more fun each time we do a new style.

Thank you sharing Little T and her twists with us today, Mommy C! We appreciate it!


If you would like to share a style you have recently completed, we would love to see it! Please email me at joyfulmom@happygirlhair.com with a few pictures, the first initial of your little one's name, how long the style took to complete, products/tools used, and anything else you want to share. Let's learn, share and grow together! I look forward to hearing from you. 

Tangle Teezer

Months ago, we were talking about detangling and sleep caps and a reader named Cazzy mentioned the Tangle Teezer.  It's a detangling brush invented by a UK hair stylist Shaun Pulfrey. I've been really interested in finding out more about how this brush works since Cazzy mentioned it. Fortunately, Happy Girl Hair mom, Kristine, ordered one and shared her thoughts on it with me.

I use this little funny looking brush called the Tangle Teezer and it is AMAZING. A fellow AP [adoptive parent] recommended it and I am not kidding when I say it slides through the hair - in the words of an old Saturday Night Live skit- 'like butta!' It reminds me of a brightly colored horse brush and has plastic bristles staggered all over. I don't know why it works, but it does... The first time I used the Tangle Teezer on S, she winced as I raised it to her head, expecting pain, but then after a few brush strokes, she started laughing! No more tears during her comb out. Hooray! And on my naturally wavy Caucasian hair, it makes it smooth and shiny. Excellent scalp massage too! OK, do I sound like an infomercial now? The downside is, it is hard to handle if your hands are covered in slippery product and it is really broad so it cannot be used for small sections of hair. And, it is NOT cheap.

Thanks Kristine! The Tangle Teezer is £9.99, plus shipping. That's about $15.77, and shipping seems to be only a few dollars.


Have you tried this brush? What do you think?

Style Update

This week it's all about loose hair. We took last Sunday off and went with simply and easy care. The night before, I added a little coconut oil to the girls' hair. The next day, I co-washed, detangled with hair lotion, and finished with a little jojoba oil. I wanted Little B's hair to have some volume, sometimes we like a big, traditional, rounded afro, so I used a pick to gently lift the hair and used my hands to round it.

Every night, I've been putting them to sleep caps in loose, bonnet sleep caps to keep the hair from being compacted. I put Little R's hair back in a loose ponytail at the base of her neck to keep it from getting super tangled. In the morning, we spritz with a mix of distilled water and Taliah Waajid Protective Mist Bodifier ( I hope to review it next week) and add hair lotion. I use my fingers to lightly detangle the ends of Little R's hair, as well as massage Little B's scalp and lift the hair a tiny bit. I then use my palms to shape Little B's afro.

 

  

  

  

 

This week I decided to forgo styling products just to make things as simple as possible and while I think Little B'a hair looks great without a styling product, I can see that Little R's would benefit from a curl definer. Tomorrow I'll have to remember to grab mine for her.

How are your little ones wearing their hair this week?

Jojoba Oil

I know that a lot of regular readers know that I love jojoba oil, but we've never discussed jojoba oil in detail here. It's great stuff, so let's correct that oversight today.

Jojoba (pronounced ho-HO-bah) oil comes from the seed of the jojoba (Simmondsia Chinensis) shrub which is native to the southwestern part of the US and northwestern part of Mexico. Jojoba oil is a actually a liquid wax that has a golden color and not much of a scent. It is close to sebum, the skin's natural oil, making it great for use on skin and hair. Unlike coconut oil, jojoba oil does not penetrate into the hair, making it a great choice for helping to retain moisture added through other products.

For hair, we use it in two ways. I use it to help seal in moisture and I use it to keep the scalp from drying out. For helping to retain moisture, I use it after co-washing, and detangling. A little goes a very long way, so I use about a six drops total for each girl. I use it right over the detangler or hair milk I used to do the actual detangling. I don't coat every stand, I just smooth it over and through the hair a few drops at a time, concentrating on the ends. If the girls' hair is loose, I sometimes use it again mid-week by spritzing the hair with water, adding a leave-in and then jojoba oil.

 This is about 3 drops, half of what I use for a whole head of hair.

The second way I use it is as a scalp treatment. I like to daub a drop or two of jojoba oil on the scalp, both along the hairline and in the parts when my girls are wearing their hair in a style. It helps keep the scalp lubricated even where there is a bit of stress from styling. When using it this way, I add some  every couple of days or so.

In my experience, jojoba oil really does help keep the hair more moisturized and looking good, ditto the scalp. In the past, I've told myself that a product that we use so little of couldn't really make a difference, so I used it up and didn't buy more. That wasn't a good idea. It truly does have an impact on how the girls' hair looks and feels.

There are more ways to use jojoba oil to:

• Add a bit to a homemade skin or hair butter, or a homemade hair milk
• Use it as an all-over skin softener
• Add a few drops to the bath

Jojoba oil can be a little expensive, but so little is needed at one time that a bottle really can last. I usually pay $8-9 for a four ounce bottle of organic jojoba oil. It's available in that range with free shipping at Amazon. It's also available at Trader Joe's, some health/vitamin shops, and often where natural skin and hair care products are sold.

Do you use jojoba oil? How and when do you use it?

A Tale of Two Combs

One recent Saturday I came home to find that my favorite detangling comb met with some kind of unfortunate accident. The comb was in the drawer with one tip completely sheared off. While I could have pondered the why and how for a long time, I had a more pressing matter. Hair would need to be detangled the next morning and I didn't have a usable detangling comb.

In case you haven't met detangling combs yet, I'll describe them. They are wide-toothed combs with teeth that curve outward, forming a sort of oval shape down the middle. I think they are a wonder.

I knew that the grocery store was out of the kind I had, so I went to the closest beauty supply to get another one. I always advise people to check combs thoroughly before buying. Feel the teeth. Are they smooth? Can you feel rough seams that might snag the hair? I did all of that, looking like a nut, fondling the combs and holding them inches from my eyes to examine them. I chose one that looked good and plunked down my $5 or so.

The next morning we used it and I knew something wasn't quite right. I checked the teeth again. They hadn't magically roughened up overnight. After a little while, I realized it was the very tips that were badly formed and snagging. I thought I checked it well, but apparently not well enough. Using it made me wince. I had to avoid using the very ends of the teeth, which is not an easy task.

Just the other day, I was pleased to find that my favorite comb returned to the shelves of my grocery store. For a whopping $2.09 I got a snag-free Conair comb with coated tips that never snag or pull. I bought two- just in case.

 Unhappy comb, left. Happy comb, right.

The lesson here is that sometimes it's not worth it to pay more, especially for combs and brushes. Perfectly great hair tools can be quite reasonable. In fact, I've had the best luck with the least expensive tools. Go figure.


What is the one hair care/styling tool you can't do without?

Honeybush Tea Soft Gel Review

It's product review time again, and today I'll share my thoughts on Qhemet Biologics Honeybush Tea Soft Gel. 

This clear gel contains distilled water, extracts of organic honeybush, organic lemongrass, organic red bush, vegetable glycerin, methosulfonylmethane, odium polyacrylate, phenoxyehtanol & ethylhexylglycerin, and essential oil blend. It comes in a 2oz size for $5.50 or 8oz size for $14.50. It's a soft hold gel for moisturizing and defining coils, curls and twists.

We used this out in loose hair, in twists and in braids. It has a delightful citrus scent that's most like grapefruit. The gel is light and doesn't weigh the hair down, flake, make the hair stiff, or dry the hair at all. Did I mention the scent is delicious and light? I did? Well, believe me when I say it worth mentioning twice; it's really nice.

Unfortunately, I didn't have luck with the gel on loose styles. I didn't see any extra curl definition on either girls' hair or my own with this product. In fact, my hair curls were frizzy, as though they had no product in them at all. I had better luck with it for twists and braids. It has enough soft hold for short-term styles and both twists and braids looked pretty good. The hair was soft when I took the twists and braids out too.

If you absolutely love gel for twisting and braiding, and aren't looking for hard hold, this is a good natural option. I give Qhemet Biologics Honeybush Tea Soft Gel 3 out of 5 star beads.





What is your favorite type of product for braids and twists? Gel? Pomade? Styling cream? A moisturizer like shea butter? Something else?

Happy Valentine's Day

 

Dear Happy Girl Hair Friends,

Today would normally be a hair day, but this morning our little family is going out to celebrate our love for each other with, um, pancakes. 

I'd like to take this break from routine to tell you all how much I appreciate you. Our growing community, your comments, emails, and the online friendships formed through this space enrich my life daily. I hope they enrich yours too.

Please keep sharing your thoughts, your news, your opinions, your questions, and your successes with me here. Ladies, it's an honor and a privilege to get to know you.

Love,

Katie

Saturday Spotlight!

Today, my good friend Mommy J is sharing some one of the latest styles she completed for her darling Little G. I love those parts, and so does Mommy J. She says,

It is just parts, gathered by bands, then two twists with snaps on the end. To get the parts more even, I separated her head into quarters, then split the front two quarters into 3 sections each and the back two quarters into 2 sections each. I like the star-effect on the top of her head and the snaps make such a great “clickity clack” that when we say “clickity clack” she loves to shake her head and giggle!

I think this style looks adorable on Little G and the snaps are a fun way to finish the twists. Thanks for sharing Mommy J!


If you would like to share a style you have recently completed, we would love to see it! Please email me at joyfulmom@happygirlhair.com with a few pictures, the first initial of your little one's name, how long the style took to complete, products/tools used, and anything else you want to share. Let's learn, share and grow together! I look forward to hearing from you. 

Yet Another Valentine's Style

I know. I know. Enough with the Valentine's styles. This is the last one. I swear.

I was over at Beads, Braids & Beyond admiring the heart style Nikki did for her daughter when I read that to make the heart, you draw a heart on the head with a comb. I had a sudden desire to try it. And Nikki is right, it worked and it wasn't all that hard! Thanks Nikki!

I did this quick and dirty version of the heart part style before school this morning. Little R's hair was loose, damp, and finger detangled before I started. Mine has big Bantu knot in the middle, and a thick cornrow going all the way around the head. A french braid, or one-sided french braid, might have been more appropriate for the amount of hair around the outside of the heart, but my french braiding skills need some work.

If you haven't already, go on over to Beads, Braids & Beyond and check out how gorgeous this style can be.

More Valentine's Styles

This is less a style update and more a style redo. I wasn't happy with last Sunday's styles and the styles were quite as Valentine-y as the girls were hoping for. Yesterday we had a rainy afternoon with no plans, so we tried again and this is what we came up with:

 

 

 

  

 

We are happier now.