Hair Curling Techniques: A Review

My hair is...awkward. That's a good word.

It's stick straight and flat until it gets to the bottom, at which point is gets a little fluffy and the ends start to flip out every which way. This happens no matter what length it is.

A while back, after Heather posted about how she gets her beautiful, wavy hair, I tried her method. I have always loved Heather's beautiful, wavy hair and jumped at the chance to recreate her look. I was pretty happy with the result, but I didn't really enjoy the almost 2 hours it took to do it.

 

I also tried using my straightener. I got a little bit of a different curling effect. It provided a bigger, rounder curl. And I wasn't really in love with the way all the ends seemed to sick out. I kind of looked like a frizz ball. Even after a few attempts, I couldn't get the ends to look any different. I wasn't standing in front of the mirror for quite as long (maybe 1.5 hours instead), but I still wasn't getting the look I wanted in the time I wanted. I don't have that kind of time to spend doing my hair for anything other than a super special occasion. I also wish (temporarily) that my hair were longer so I could really pull off this look.

So, I wanted something that didn't require so much time in front of the mirror. Then I found another technique - mini buns. I left my hair up in these silly looking buns for most of the day and then slept on them that night. I took a picture but can't seem to find it. Anyway, when I finally took them out, my hair had taken so well to the curl that I basically had a bunch of tiny corkscrew curls sticking out of my head. Seriously, they were all probably about 6 inches  - just tiny little ringlet curls. I had an afro! Definitely NOT the look I was going for.

No pics of that monstrosity. Sorry!

So I was browsing YouTube looking for other techniques and ideas when I came across a video that talked about using mousse to scrunch the curls. I don't remember which video it was, so I can't link you to it. Sorry. But the technique only required a little bit of time with a blow dryer. Mousse happened to be on sale at Smith's, so I decided to give it a try.

 

Heather will probably laugh at me for saying this, but I seriously thought that using mousse to get curls would only work if your hair was already curly. Not so! I put a little mousse on my damp hair and then start scrunching and drying it (I don't use any kind of diffuser attachment). If I don't like a particular set of curls, I spray it with a bit of water and re-scrunch and dry it. It's SOOOO easy!

This is the mousse that I use - mostly because it was on sale. I haven't tried any others, so I can't attest to their curling power. As a plus, my hair smells so yummy all day long!

I LOVE the outcome! I can curl my hair in about 20 minutes now! This has actually become my "go-to" hair style now because it takes less time and patience than straightening and backcombing my hair (both of which are necessary to produce a hairstyle in which I feel comfortable leaving the house). Hubs says he loves it, too, which is a plus!!

Product Review - Clairol Foaming Hair Color

My mom says that her Grandma always used to say, "Even an old barn deserves a new coat of paint sometimes!"

So true, right?! Back before I was married and had more disposable income, I would go to my stylist and have her highlight my hair. $50? Sure, no big deal! Yeah, not so much anymore. The highlights I had done for my wedding (5 years ago now) was the last time! But over those 5 years, I've accumulated a few gray hairs. Okay, more than a few. I'm not graying yet, but I had enough gray hairs popping up to make me feel uncomfortable and insecure. 26 year old women shouldn't be struggling with gray hairs! It was time to color my hair, but I didn't have the money to go to a salon and have it done.

But, I'm also not a professional. I color my mom's hair on a regular basis, but it's a totally different thing when you're trying to do your own. I wanted something easy to apply, something that I could do myself, and also that wouldn't be messy. And there really wasn't anything like that on the market until Clairol introduced their Foaming Hair Color! A while ago (around the time it was introduced), Clairol ran a promotion on their Facebook page giving away free bottles, so you can be sure I snatched up one of those!

I was incredibly nervous about it. I had only done highlights - never my entire head of hair. I didn't want to wind up with orange or green hair! So, even after I got my free bottle, I still waited almost another 2 months to use it. Eventually the grays started to get a little depressing and I knew I just had to go for it. And it did. And it turned out great!

I don't have any pictures of the process or any before or after shots, but I can you that I had no more gray hairs! I didn't pick any crazy or completely different shades. I wasn't looking for a huge change and I didn't want to be stuck with HAVING to color my hair in a few weeks when my roots started to show. Basically I didn't want much difference between my natural color and the color I was using.

It was a fairly easy process though. I wasn't too impressed with the bottle. I was expecting a foaming pump, which I still think would be better. Instead you have to squeeze the bottle to get it to foam and come out. It also wasn't completely drip free, but the drips I got could have very well been my own newbieness. But you just pour, shake, then squeeze it onto your hair and rub it in. As their website claims, it was similar to using shampoo.

All in all, this really is a very useful product. I love the idea of being able to color my own hair at home - and no one has to know! In fact, the shade I chose was so close to my own hair color that my husband didn't even notice. I finally said something about it after a couple of days and he was quite impressed. It also easily covered my grays and left me feeling much more confident. It's the small things in life (like not having any noticeable grays)!

Since using the Clairol Foaming Hair Color, I have used the traditional squeeze bottle hair color. I had my mom color my hair and I think I really like the foaming stuff better. My mom did a great job, but it was just so much easier to do it myself!! The foaming stuff only took about 10 minutes to apply as opposed to the 25 or 30 minutes for the traditional hair color.

The Clairol Foaming Hair Color is available at most grocery and drug stores - I've seen it at Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Smith's, etc. It runs between $7.97 and $9.99, I believe. Even better, P&G often has coupons for it - sometimes as much as $3.00 off 1! I can afford $5 for easy hair color I can at home by myself!!

Have you tried this (or any of the other foaming hair colors)? How do you think they compare to the traditional squeeze bottles?

(I was not compensated for this post. I did score a free bottle during Clairol's Facebook promotion, but Clairol did not ask me to write this post. I just thought all you wonderful ladies would like to hear my opinion. And this post is exactly that - my honest, truthful, and unpaid opinion!)

Book Review: Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth

Have you heard of this book? It literally saved my sanity!!

This book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth, was recommended to me by another mama, and I'm soooooo glad I took the time to read it! I know I can't be the only mom who struggles to get her children to sleep and I thought some of you other mamas might like some help!

Andyroo was NOT a good sleeper. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Even in the hospital, he didn't want to sleep in the little bed/box they had him in. If one of us was holding him, he would sleep great. Unfortunately that carried over at home too. He would only stay asleep if he was sleeping ON us. I would lay him on my chest and he would stay asleep for a couple hours at a time. But *I* wasn't sleeping well. I was already dealing with all of the new mom stuff (hormones, emotions, trying to nurse, etc) and had to deal with EXTREME lack of sleep. I know I shouldn't have given in to letting him sleep on us, but I was so tired and frazzled and I just wanted to sleep. As long as I could lay in bed and pretend to sleep, I didn't really care where he slept. I couldn't deal with putting him in his crib or bassinet and having him wake up every 20 minutes. I tried it. For about an hour. It was too much to handle.

Finally after about 2 months (I think - again, extreme fogginess), I discovered that if I left him in his car seat, he would stay asleep! Hallelujah! I knew that letting him sleep in his car seat wasn't the best idea, but he was sleeping! For more than 20 minutes at a time. Without being held! I didn't really care. I just wanted to sleep!!! To save my sanity (and my child), I let the car seat sleeping continue. When he fell asleep, I would go put him in his car seat that was on the floor next to our bed. When he wanted to nurse, I'd wake up and nurse him and then put him back in the car seat. But then I even started getting lazy about putting him back in the car seat. Instead I'd just lay him next to me and we'd both fall asleep while he nursed. I really don't mind co-sleeping. But it didn't help Andyroo learn to sleep on his own. This was my life until Andyroo was about 10 months old. 10 months, people!

About that time, a friend told me about Marc Weissbluth's book - Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. She told me that she's used the methods in there for each of her children and that they were such good sleepers now. I found the book at the library (along with a few others) and go to reading. Let me tell you - this book made the most sense and made me feel the most comfortable. I wasn't comfortable with just letting him cry it out without going in. His approach is a little more gentle and, while still hard on the mommy emotions, was doable for me.

I made sure that Hubs was around for the first couple nights. His work schedule varies between day and  evening shifts and I did NOT want to be doing this alone. So we finally put Dr. Weissbluth's methods to the test. The first night was hard. The first time Andyroo finally fell asleep, he was sitting up in the corner of his crib closest to the door, gripping the bars of his crib. But he fell asleep!!! Luckily it took Andyroo less than a week (maybe around 4 days??) to get the hang of it. I think by about day 3 he was only crying for about 5 or 10 minutes. By the end of the week, he wasn't crying anymore! Success!!!

He was finally sleeping in his crib, waking only once for night-time nursing (I know by that point he didn't need them anymore, but I didn't want to change everything so quickly). Do you realize how wonderful uninterrupted sleep is?

If you have a horrible sleeper, you NEED to read this book. Even if you decide that his methods aren't for you, he has a LOT of really good information about sleep habits and cycles that every mom needs to know. Most moms just think that their babies will know when they're tired and just fall asleep on their own. That may be true in some cases (especially younger babies), but a lot of babies actually need to be taught to go to sleep. That's right, on top of everything else we have to teach them, we also have to teach them how to go to sleep. Dr. Weissbluth also writes about sleep cycles and how daytime sleep is different from nighttime sleep, explains how being overtired actually prevents good sleep (and how it's important to put your child to bed before they get to that point), why a sleep schedule is important, and how getting enough sleep will make your child happier and healthier. This book is also for all children - not just babies or toddlers. He also talks about how to deal with things like bed wetting and nightmares.

I cannot stress enough how having a child who gets enough sleep definitely changes their temperament and makes them happier. Andyroo was NOT a happy baby before he we started this at 10 months. He was a cranky, crabby mess that spent most of the day crying. And I was too! But once he started getting enough sleep, his temperament completely changed. He was happy and smiling and so was I! It's amazing what good sleep habits will do (for children and adults)!! Implementing the things in this book changed (and saved) our lives.

Have you read through this book? Do you have any helpful tips for parents who might be struggling to get their child to sleep? I'd love to hear what you have to say!!

(This is not a paid review. All of the opinions in this book are my own. My life was changed by this book and I thought there might be other mommas struggling too that could be helped by this book)

Our Favorite Products: Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion

This stuff is AH-MAY-ZING!

Since about the time I graduated High School, I've had a weird rash-like thing that pops up on my hands occasionally, especially during winter or when my hands are really dry for a long period of time. When it first started, I was working at Taco Time and thought it was a reaction to something in the food (MSG, maybe) or to the gloves, or due to the fact that I was constantly washing my hands. But it stuck around even after I quit working at Taco Time. Basically my hands would get red and itchy, then they would start to crack and even bleed. It was mainly on my right hand - on my middle and ring fingers. But it would get so bad that it spread across the back of my hand and up to my wrist. Occasionally it pops up on my left hand. I've never had it looked at, but I'm pretty sure it's a form of Eczema.

I've been dealing with it now for about 8 years. Needless to say, I've tried many, many, many different lotions. And the Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion is the only lotion that makes my hands look and feel normal. No more itching, no more redness. Just soft, smooth skin. Of course, it hasn't cured me. If I am washing my hands a lot (like while we were potty training Andyroo, lots of dishes, etc) and my hands get really dried out, then the itchiness starts to creep back in. But a couple applications of this wonderful lotion and my hands are back to normal.

Unfortunately the Aveeno brands can be a little pricey (around $7-$9 for a 12 oz bottle), but let me tell you, it is well worth it. I tried the Equate (Wal-Mart's store brand) version and it did nothing for me. Luckily I took advantage of Wal-Mart's money back guarantee so I wasn't stuck with crappy lotion! Fortunately, Aveeno also puts out coupons for their products pretty regularly, so that helps. It's not break-the-bank-expensive, but it's a little pricier than I would like to spend. I just consider it one of my few splurges. And seriously, spending that much every few months to keep my hands looking and feeling good is well-worth the money.

I definitely recommend this product to ANYONE! My 4-year-old niece was getting really dry, itchy, red skin on her hands and after just one application of this, she said her hands were feeling better. My Mother-in-Law is also a convert after trying it just a couple of times. If you're looking for a great lotion, you definitely should try the Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion.

Do you have a favorite lotion that you would recommend?

(This is simply my opinion. I was in no way compensated for this post. This is just one of my favorite products that I wanted to share with our awesome readers!)

Our Favorite Products - Tresemme Climate Control Hair Spray

This stuff is AMAZING! I've never loved a hair product this much before. When I was younger, I used to babysit for this lady who was always complaining about how companies were changing and discontinuing products that she really loved and I never quite got why she was so upset. I totally get it now! My worst fear (besides losing my teeth and my child) is that Tresemme will discontinue their climate control line. I'm half tempted to seriously stock up so I'm never left without my favorite hair spray. I may or may not have 5 bottles in my pantry right now. I'm really not a brand snob either. The only other thing I'm this passionate about is the brand of peanut butter I'll eat. It's Skippy or nothing at all.

So why is this product so great? I don't really care about the frizz control, UV and humidity protection, or anything else that this product touts. I love this product simply because it holds my style all day long. Without fail.

My hair is very thin and fine. It's limp and sometimes stringy. I need all the help I can get. I won't lie - I back comb my hair to get a little volume. It's not because all the women in Utah do it. Really, almost no one else I know (besides the women in my family) actually back comb anymore. I don't go overboard though. But every other hair spray I've tried fails to hold the back combing. After even just a couple of hours, my hair is starting to go limp and flat again. Not cool!

But Tresemme's Climate Control Hairspray is there all day - wind, rain, or snow. Andyroo can throw his blanket on my head and I don't have to carefully peel the blanket away in hopes of saving what little volume is left in my hair.

This stuff is awesome! For me, a little sustained volume is all it takes to make me happy. I feel more confident and beautiful when I don't have to worry so much about my hair!

Is there a product you just can't live without! Let us know!

(This review was uncompensated. I'm simply sharing my love for a wonderful product!)