8 Hairstyles To Fight Summer Frizz

My hair doesn't do well in the summer. 

The heat causes me to sweat which causes my hair to get ridiculously frizzy! 

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem going natural and rocking my straight Afro.

 But some times, I like to tame to the beast. 

Doing my hair is something that I have been practicing since I was about 12 years old. I literally braid my hair with my eyes closed at this point. Though I have yet to master the art of hair styling completely, I enjoy trying out new things! 

Here are 8 ideas for when the ponytail just won't work:

Loose fish tail brain with a black faux leather bow.

Traditional french braid.

 

Tight curved fishtail side braid with faux leather black bow

 

Another variation of the curved fish tail braid with a light blue ribbon instead of the black bow 

 

 

French braid hybrid with turquoise clippies.

 

Half up half down with a color spotted white bow and pink clippies. 

Bangs twisted and pulled back 

Half up half down with black clippies keeping sides back 

Teaching Toddlers 103: Water Exploration Day

One impossibly hot summer afternoon, Nico and I decided to go outside to play. We don't have a fan in the living room/play area, so we roamed into the side yard hoping to catch a breeze. After watching Nico sweat it out for a few minutes, a brilliant idea occurred to me. 

I could turn the broiling day into a teachable moment! Nico already knew it was hot, he told me as much several times in both English and Spanish, so I came up with a fun way to cool him off without leaving the house and without wasting too much water. 

I went inside and grabbed a milk carton that I had been saving for a spontaneous craft, and using scissors, a sharpie, and a stapler, I turned it into a "watering can" and a "water house"!

It's okay if the pitcher has holes in it! The point is for the little one to see and feel the water fall out

The hole in the front is so that water can been seen going through the carton

The flap on the side is so that the toddler can see the water pouring off onto the ground

  

Once our supplies were assembled, I went inside and gathered water from the sink into a large pitcher. 

That's when the real fun began! 

Nico learned about pouring water, and that though it is tangible, it cannot be grabbed, only felt and contained. Of course I wasn't trying to explain those complicated concepts to my 23mo, he was content to figure it out in his own way.

Please excuse his naked lower half, we are still potty training =)

 

 He also learned that some things sink in water, while other things float, and that if you put enough force on an object in the water, you can push it to the bottom.

 

By the end of our little experiment, he was cooled down and soaked! 

He ended up running free in his birthday suit without a care in the world, and the hot hot sun was long forgotten! 

It was just another day of trying to keep my Gummy Bear from melting! 

Mommy & Me Monday!

The reason behind the Mommy and Me posts is to remind myself that Nico always comes before work. During the day while I'm writing, Nico crawls on my lap, craving attention, and I take a few minutes to snap some pictures with him to make him feel loved and special. 

 

He's growing up so fast, I refuse to miss a single second of it!

 

He will always be my baby!! 

 

 

Happy M&M Monday ;)

Don't forget to cherish the ones you love every moment of every day! 

Potty Diaries: Introduction

Nico has always been a very intelligent and strong willed little guy. Once he decides he is ready for something, there is no stopping him. Though I have never wanted to rush him through milestones, I was not surprised when he took his first steps at 10 months, when he started climbing everything in sight at 12 months, or when he began to take an interest in the potty at 15 months. He began following my husband and I to the bathroom, flushing the toilet when he thought no one was looking, and telling me all about the contents of his dirty diaper. Though experts say these are all indicators of potty readiness, I still felt it was too early, and I didn't want to push my baby to grow up before his time. Instead we decided to take pre-potty steps. 

A potty seat was the best option for our household because Nico was eager to sit on the toilet like mommy and daddy, and because we live in a single story house with easy bathroom access. I also liked the other benefits of the seat such as, portability, easy clean up, and space-saving storage. Each day, or maybe every other day, I would sit Nico on his potty seat (fully dressed) to get him used to the idea that one day he would be doing it all by himself. 

Little did I know that day would come sooner rather than later. 

Nico decided he was ready all on his own. At about 18 months, he started taking off his diaper during nap time. Sounds innocent enough, right? There is no harm in being silly and or figuring out how to work the tabs on a diaper, unless there is something in that diaper. Imagine my shock and disgust when I walk in on my 1 and a half year old happily smearing his feces all over himself and his crib. Unfortunately, this was not a one time thing. Over the next couple months, Nico continued to make monumental messes, no matter what my husband and I did, and he was beginning to do it more frequently. I began asking the older mothers in my church when they started the potty process and they all advised me to waited until Nico was ready. 

Well, when you know, you know. 

I still had my doubts since Nico was still 22 months old, not even 2 yet, but I couldn't take another nap time nightmare. 

So, I made a potty plan:

1. Stay home as much as possible during the day. 
2. Let Nico walk around with no diaper, and no pants. BIRTHDAY SUIT! 
3. Begin using undies when he has at least 2 days of no accidents in a row (this hasn't happened yet)
4. Take the potty seat out with us when he finally does make the transition to undies.

Over the next few months I'll be writing a little series called Potty Diaries that will highlight misadventures of a first time mommy in Potty Land. 

Follow us through all the ups and downs, and #1's and #2's!

7 Ways to Say NO to Stress This Summer

Whoever said summer was carefree had no idea what they were talking about. This summer has been as busy and demanding as any other time of the year, with one exception; it's blood boiling hot! If we're not careful, the stress of every day life can drain the fun right out of summer. Avoid loosing your cool this year with these 7 happiness hacks:

Laugh at least once a day - The reason behind this is the Law of Attraction. If you laugh at least one time every day you will be generally happier in life than those who don't because you are emitting and attracting positive energy! Laughter is also good exercise for the abdomen; laugh your way to a healthier you! 

Take advantage of the SUN - During the summer we actually have TIME to go outside and enjoy being in the sunshine! Absorbing vitamin D makes us feel better; it's hard to be stresses when you're feeling amazing! 
 
Avoid Negative Gossip - You know who I'm talking about, that face that popped up in your head as soon as you read the word gossip. The person who always has something to say about everybody. You have enough on your plate, you don't need to spend any time focusing on other people's problems. 

Take a weekly day trip - This doesn't have to be a spa retreat of anything, just go out for the day to someplace nice with someone you love! The beach, the pool, the park, the possibilities are endless and adventure awaits you! Its okay to take a step back, healthy even. 

Treat yourself once a week - This is not the same as taking a weekly day trip. This means making time to do one thing for yourself. A self manicure, or setting aside an hour to read a novel, or even to spend time surfing Pinterest!

Get extra sleep - TAKE NAPS! Whenever you can, even if for only an hour. Because it's summer and you can. Sleep is directly linked to happiness!

Take a lot of fun pictures - No matter what you are doing, you can always snap a selfie. Whether its watching TV all day or working, you can take a moment to let loose. Make a silly face, and stop taking everything so seriously, at least for a minute. Then remind yourself what is really important. Life is beautiful!