Make Wash Days Easier by Using this item!

Hello Everyone! 

A few days ago while browsing the Pinterest Site, I came across this great idea and you will probably wonder the same thing I did... "Why didn't I think of this?!"

As parents of curly kids, we are always looking for tips and products that can make "wash days" easier and less painful for the little ones.  

Let me assure you that this IS one of the greatest things I've tried that actually works.  The investment value... are you ready?. 0.75 cents! 

Pool Noodle!

As you may already know, the pool noodles come in different shape and size.

The wider the noodle the higher the price.  

I purchased two different sizes: 

Purple ($0.75 cents) and Pink ($1.49)

(Image found on Pinterest Board)

Now, your probably thinking.... "What? and I never thought of doing this because?"

Trust me, that was the same reaction I had, especially after I purchased the Hair Wash Tray from Amazon.com (see picture below).

While we made it work the first time and she was happy with the experience, it was difficult to use it again.  It became impossible to find the right angle again.  

The tray is not meant for small bathroom sinks and to be used at a kitchen sink, you have to have the right chair that will give the right height for the tray to sit at a comfortable angle.  

We decided to try both noodles in order to determine which was one felt more comfortable to her. And she was more comfortable with the purple one, "so much better mama".  

Fortunately, the noddle is the exact same length as her tub and it was "locked" in place and didn't require something to keep it from sliding back and forth.  

Therefore, we experience NO MESS AT ALL! 

I suggest you give this a try! 

Product Review by Ma Vie en Pink

Hello Readers!

Today I will be sharing my friend Emily's very simple routine using two amazing products.  While I have not tried these products on Ms. Bree's hair or mine, Emily sure is a fan of these products and is definitely enjoying her curly hair thanks to the results she is able to accomplish.

THE PRODUCTS: 

1. Oyin Handmade Hair Dew- Daily Hair Quenching Lotion; and 
2. Nuance Salma Hayek, Blue Agave Curl Cream.

From Emily...

Hello friends: I have a very simple routine for my wavy/curly hair but since adding/switching the two products pictured above.   I am having so many more GREAT CURLY HAIR days, therefore, I thought I would share this with all of you. 


I usually wash and condition my hair with whatever is in the shower at the time (I know, I know...). 

Lately, it has been Clear Intense Hydration.  After drying my hair off with a cotton T-Shirt, I use a tiny bit of Oyin Handmade Hair Dew Daily Hair Lotion, as my leave in - this stuff is so great I don't even have to crunch my hair. My curl pattern just appears. This thing is a miracle in a bottle once you find the amount that works for you. For my curl type, too much of it will weigh my hair down A LOT. Another plus, it smells delicious! 

                               Their claim: "this creamy, conditioning leave-in is light enough 

                                          for every day. it's great on 'naked' hair immediately after a cleanse,

                                          or as a way to reinvigorate tired hair all the way through your hair 

                                          care cycle. for seriously protective hair experience, try using hair dew

                                          on moist hair (or over a quick spritz of one of our Juices herbal leave-

                                          ins) and then seal ends with one of the Sugar Pomades before gently

                                          manipulating hair into a protective style like braids, twists, or an updo.

                                          days of moisture, sheen, and hair happiness!"

As my styler, I use this cream from the Nuance brand (Salma Hayek at CVS). I apply about a nickel size amount to my curls while my head is up-side-down crunching up my curls and that's it. 

It gives me a soft - not crunchy hold (you know what I mean!). If I want a little extra volume I do use a diffuser on low heat; however, the picture below is just air dried hair (about 60% dry). Anyway, I highly recommend these products because lets face it we could all use more great hair days! 

heart emoticon Ems

Emily sure is a busy mommy! Besides her "twenty four hour mommy job", she has a full time job and is also the proud owner of Ma Vie En Pink Shop! You can find her Etsy Shop here: Ma Vie En Pink Etsy Shop.  Follow her Facebook page at: Ma Vie En Pink Facebook Page and get the latest news on all her latest projects!

  

Valentine's Day Treats

      Hello Again Readers!! It’s been a while since I last posted on our blog, so let me rectify that.

      Today I will be sharing with you two easy recipes that can be used for any event. 

    

     If you follow our Facebook Page (Caramel Curlz & Swirls FB Page), then you may recall me making this sweet and fun filled treat for Ms. Bree’s 6^th Birthday Party.   I will be posting all the details of her Barbie Birthday Bash next. 

     Due to the fact that all her classmates and teachers enjoyed this treat so much, I decided to make it again.  This time the “Valentine’s Day Popcorn” was the main treat which was accompanied by “Sparkling Marshmallow Pops”.

    Both treats are extremely easy to prepare, very inexpensive and it’s guaranteed to make a hit. 

Let’s get started shall we!

THE INGREDIENTS:

1 lb White Almond Bark (Vanilla Flavored);

4 Bags of Homestyle Pop Popcorn (4 bags were enough to make 20 Valentine’s Day Bags);

Red Food Coloring (Magenta/Pink);

Sprinkles (whichever kind your kid loves).

Now, the first time I made this treat I used a large plastic bowl, which was okay but made the “clean up” process a bit difficult.  The melted almond bark becomes hard relatively quickly.  With that bit of information in mind, the second time around I used a disposable roasting pan I got from the Dollar Store. 

This is something your kids can help with. They get to use their little hands to mix the melted almond bark, popcorn and sprinkles! Be prepared, sucking fingers will happen once the mixing part is done!  In another words, this is very messy.  

I tried using a spoon to mix everything but it didn't work as expected, the popcorn would actually get stuck to the spoon, therefore, using your hands was the best advice I was giving so I’m passing this amazing tip to you!

 STEP 1:

Pop the popcorn as instructed on the bags, (Pop 2 bags at a time).

STEP 2:

Melt half a pound of Almond Bark as recommended on the packaging.

STEP 3:

 Add a few drops of the food coloring until you achieve the color you are aiming for.  Mix it well.

STEP 4:

Spread all the popcorn on your disposable pan.

STEP 5:

Lightly drizzle the melted Almond Bark on your popcorn and begin to mix; 
Do this two to three times until you reach the desired results. 

STEP 6:

DROP the sprinkles! Again, you can add as many sprinkles as you (or you little one wants).

AND DONE! 

I used Valentine's Bags that I purchased from Party City.  They come in packs of 20s and they had many designs.  I picked two different designs for the kids. 

               

 

                      Little Man's class                        Ms Bree's class

Pretty easy right!  The teachers loved the popcorn so much the first time I made it, I'm sure there were very happy to get more!! 

This delicious treat can be prepared a day or two in advance.  It approximately took two hours to prepare and filled 40 bags.  

Marshmallow Pops

These pops are even easier to make!  

You will need Wilton Lollipop Wrapping Kit

A bag of Jumbo Size Marshmallows

Left over melted almond bark and left over sprinkles!  

Perfect, do you agree?  You can modify the colors to match your birthday party theme or any special event!

Go ahead, try it and ENJOY!   

~Elena~

Winter Care for Natural Curls

Hello Readers!

     I would like welcome and thank all of our new followers!  If you follow our Facebook Page then you know that our page will soon hit 3K LIKES!

     If you don’t follow our Facebook page, come and join the fun!  I cannot thank you all enough for all the support and participation, whether you follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Google+, Facebook or YouTube.

  

    Now, let me start this post by stating the obvious… the cold days have arrived! Some of you are probably experiencing lower temperatures than we are.  I mean, we leave in Georgia and I’m originally from Miami, Florida, which means that the coldest temperature I have experienced in my life is probably 20 degrees!  A joke right? At least compare to what some of you have experienced.

    With the cold days knocking on our door every morning, it is important to dress our little ones in layers and to keep gloves, hats and scarfs handy.  But keeping kids warm is not the only important thing we must remember.  At least not when you have kids with lots of curly hair.

     Curly hair needs extra TLC, not just during the summer months but even more so during the dry, cold days.

     Here are a few of my tips that will help you keep your curls moisturized:

#1. Check your oils: by this I mean, some oils become hard during the cold months, if it becomes hard and solid while is in its container, then most likely will not be a good idea to apply it to your hair. Unfortunately, I found that out the hard way… It did not damaged her hair by any means, but we had to re-wash and start all over again.  I love coconut oil, it's no secret, but during the cold days coconut oil tends to hardened and you will see white flakes or clumps all over the hair.  So during the following months I will be using a combination of castor oil, argan oil and jojoba oil. 

#2. Deep Condition: Deep conditioning is part of our regimen, but in order to make sure her hair continues to thrive during the cold days, I deep conditioned her hair once a week!

#3. Pre-Poo: Retaining moisturize is our main goal, so please try to remember that.  The pre-poo step always helps lessen the damage shampoo can do to your tresses therefore helping you retain moisture. I also find the pre-poo step very helpful when it comes to the detangling process.   But I always suggest that you stay away from shampoos that contain harsh ingredients and use sulfate free shampoos.  

#4. No outside time with wet hair: Okay, this is something my mother never allowed, she claimed that it was not good for your health.  I always try to wash her hair during the weekends, but see, the key word is “try”. Even when you plan your wash days it sure doesn’t mean they will always happen when you want them.  But during the cold days, I stick to washing her hair on Saturday mornings or Friday afternoons.  I do not allow her to go outside until I know her hair is dry and completely covered.

#5. Keep the curls covered:  When going outside, make sure your curly kid is wearing a hat, satin lined caps are a bit pricey, but I have an easy solution to that, the same “satin sleeping cap” they wear to go to bed can also be used under their winter hats!  Now, if you are good with the sewing machine, you may want to consider making one and you can also make me one while you are at it! J

#6. Keep an eye on your ends:  I constantly check Ms. Bree scalp and ends, and it is no different when it comes to the cold days.  If the ends of the hair start to look dry and split ends are clearly there, don’t hesitate to trim it!  If you are interested on learning how to trim their hair, please read our post on: How To Trim Curly Hair

#7. Keep it in protective style:   Styles like braids, twists last for several days to a couple of weeks since over styling can also cause damage.  You can and is highly encouraged that you continue to care for your hair even when it’s in a protective style.  You can easily co-wash hair and please make sure that scalp, hair and ends are properly moisturized which will prevent the hair from drying and breaking!

#8. Drink lots of fluids:  It is very important to make sure the kids drink plenty of fluids.  Our kids have a “water chug”, which is a mini water bottle, like a mini-me version of the 5 gallon bottles.. we try to keep them full of water. I constantly check and see how much they have drank.  Although, it is a bit difficult to keep track of their fluid intake when they are at school. 

Just remember that keeping the hair moisturized is your main objective!

Here are some ideas on protective styles! 

Halloween Costume- Frankie Stein

Hello everyone and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! 

This year has been exceptionally busy for our household.  From Football games, Gymnastics, Dance classes and of course, homework and school projects.

Ms Bree is attending a new school of dance, Maxine Patterson School of Dance.  She is still learning ballet and tap but to me this school is one hundred percent better than her last school.  

With a new school comes a new teacher and with a new teacher comes a new routine.  Her teacher is amazing with kids and the one hour recital the little one's performed for us, the parents, was definitely fun to watch.   

Since it was a Halloween themed dance all the dancers were asked to wear their Halloween Costume.  Although Ms. Bree loves "Elsa" from the Disney movie "Frozen", she decided to switch things up a bit and chose Frankie Stein from Monster High. 

At first, she wanted me to flat iron her hair and use the cans of paint Party City has available.  But I decided for a Frankie Wig (children's size).  Flat ironing her hair then adding the paint sounded to damaging to her curly tresses for my liking.  The cold weather has arrived in my neck of the woods and with that, her hair needs extra TLC.  

Here is how we accomplished her look: 

FRANKIE STEIN from MONSTER HIGH

The Clothes

*Black Leotard;

*Monster High Tutu purchased from Party City.

The Accessories

*Monster High- Frankie Stein Necklace; 

*Monster High- Frankie Stein tights

*Shoes- her every day Mary Jane shoes in black.

*Monster High- Glitter Body tattoos.

The Hair

*Monster High- Frankie Stein Wig (Child size) 

     Although the girl on the picture is older than Ms. Bree, the wig fit perfectly. 

Ms Bree got dressed first; 

The Make Up Kit we found at Walmart for $4.99 

This is the first time I apply make up to Ms. Bree, although her daddy had requested a couple of time for me to apply a light make up during her recitals but I've never done it. 

I decided to do it this year because she kindly said, "just my eyes and my lip gloss", so I thought, why not? right.. 

Although Ms Bree was looking at the picture of the girl on the "Wig" wrap, I was never going to agree to such heavy make  up.  I know, I know, it was a Halloween themed dance but I thank goodness she didn't ask for something heavy.   

The Kit came with four eye shadow colors: Green, light pink, deep blue and purple.  
Ms Bree chose Green and Purple... although the blue would have been a better choice, it was way too dark... Yep, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.. :)

I started by applying moisturizer all over her face, carefully avoiding the eye area; 

This particular kit came with two eye shadow applicators but I used my finger instead when  applying the green eye shadow all over her eye lid;

Then using the side of the applicator I applied the pink eye shadow on the top part of her eye lid, starting from where the bone begins up to the bottom of the eye brow. 

No eye liner or mascara for this little one, at least not  yet! :) 

However, I did use a black eye liner to recreate the scar Frankie Stein has on her face. 

*extra tip*: I believe a "liquid" eye liner would have worked better for this.  

Having her hair in Braids was the best thing I could have done.  It allowed me to put the Wig on with having to stuff all that hair in the small cap.  Having the hair in large pony tails can also cause the wig to not fit properly. 

I used three pins to make sure her Wig wouldn't fall in the middle of her dance. But I really don't think they were necessary at all. 

Like mother like daughter; I love touching my hair, specially now when it's very long... Ms. Bree is really not that far behind, she touched, touched, pulled and touched some more!  Thankfully, her wig stayed in place and didn't fall at all. 

Simple yet beautiful! 

A full length video of her dance will be available on our YouTube Channel, so make sure you subscribe to it!  

BEE MINE NATURAL PRODUCTS- Back to School Sale

Hello again readers! 

I'm happy to announce that one of our biggest sponsors "Bee Mine Natural and Organic Products" is having a big "Back to School Sale". 

Many of you know Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer is the #1 product I use to style my daughter's hair. 

Some of my favorites Bee Mine Products are:

Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer (Island Mango Scent); 

Bee Mine Curly Butter (Island Mango Scent);

Bee Mine Bee Lovely Daily Scalp and Hair Moisturizer; and let's not forget

Bee Mine Beautiful Deep Conditioner!! 

All of their items are hand crafted and are made with many natural and organic ingredients.  

The products can be used  "..on various hair textures, and will suit the needs of naturally curly, kinky, wavy, chemically treated, dry, damaged or heat straightened hair".

If you have not used any of their products before, we highly recommend you try them.  Not sure if they are for you? Bee Mine offers "Travel Sizes" on most of their products for a small price, consider ordering the small sizes but we can guarantee that you will fall in love with them!

Quick Overview on Oils & Their Benefits

Natural Oils and Their Benefit

   Hello Readers:

                 First, I want to thank every single one of you who supports and follow our blog, Facebook Page, Twitter Page, Instagram Page and Pinterest Boards, it means a lot to us!!

                Now, this post will give a quick rundown on the natural oils that are popular in the Natural Hair Care World.  I could have written a very long explanation including the origin of all the natural oils you probably have come across.  

                But I didn't.  I'm sharing with you my "To Go By List" or my "Cheat Cheat List" J  It's a summary of some of the hair benefits for the most popular oils.

(These are some of the Oils we have in our collection)

The list is in alphabetical order: 

Argan Oil

*Strengthens the hair;

* It prevents dandruff, frizziness, early loss hair;

*It helps to retain moisture.

SIDE NOTE: Argan Oil has become very popular regardless of it's price.  This oil can be used not only for your hair, but skin and nails as well. 

Avocado Oil

*Great for curly hair;

*Helps to moisturize your hair;

*Prevents Split ends; 

*Revitalizes your hair; 

*Improves shine and brittle hair.

SIDE NOTE: I highly recommend you purchase a small bottle to try on your curly strands. This oil is a bit heavy and it did not worked on my daughter's hair.  I was told that this oil works better on curlies who have tight curl pattern 4b/4c.

Almond Oil

 *It helps with moisture retention (great as a sealant); 

*It prevents split ends;

*prevents early hair loss;

*it promotes shiny hair;

*revitalizes your hair and prevents heat damage by the use of blow dryers and flat irons. 

SIDE NOTE:  You can also use this on your skin.  I've been using it along with Oatmeal Lotion to keep the kids' skin moisturized.  This oils has also become my make up remover and it keeps my skin nice and soft. 

Castor Oil  

Jamaican Black Castor Oil

                       

 

 *Castor Oil promotes hair growth;

*reduces split ends and hair breakage;

*Helps with moisture retention

*Helps with dry and itchy scalp.

SIDE NOTE:  Castor Oil is thick and heavy but I mix mine with other oils which it thins it out making it easier to apply to her scalp and hair.  

Jamaican Black Castor Oil as many of you already know is extremely thick because it is more concentrated and is use to promote hair growth.  I use JCBO every other day or every two days and I only apply it to her hair line. 

Coconut Oil

* Shields hair protein; 

*Great as a sealant; 

*light oil that can be use by all hair types;

*It can promote hair growth;

*It can strengthen hair shaft.

SIDE NOTE:  I have been using this oil since the first day.  Although I may not use it as often during the cold months it remains my favorite oil.  

Grape Seed Oil

*It prevents dandruff;

*It help to strengthen your hair; 

*Helps to moisturize your hair and scalp;

*it promotes shiny hair. 

SIDE NOTE:  I've just recently purchased Grapeseed Oil, I have not used it since we are experimenting with Almond Oil at the moment.  But one of our many mommies have mentioned the following: 

*It can be used before blow drying or flat ironing the hair- this oil can protect from heat damage, by JWC; 

*It can be used on your skin, specially if you have sensitive skin, by CS.

Jojoba Oil

* Promotes hair growth;

*It prevents dandruff and dry scalp;

*It can help with Eczema.

SIDE NOTE:  This is one of my favorite oils.  So many different uses, Jojoba Oil is part of my Oil Mix, I also use it on their skin.  

Macadamia Oil

*Promotes healthy hair;

*It protects hair and scalp from damage;

*It helps with moisture retention;

*The vitamin E contained in this oil can help to soften the hair, give the hair shine and works wonderfully with those frizzies. 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

*It helps to keep hair healthy;

*It prevents dandruff;

*Helps with the frizzies;

*promotes shiny hair;

*It helps to soften the hair. 

SIDE NOTE:  Add a few tablespoons to your deep conditioner or use it alone before your shampooing sessions and I promise you you will feel the difference! Your hair will be so soft and very manageable.    Just apply EVOO to your hair while detangling it with your fingers, place a plastic cap on top and let it sit there for 20  minutes or so. Wash and conditioned your hair and DONE! 

Red Palm Oil

*This oil is rich in Vitamin A & E;

*It strengthens the hair and promotes hair growth;

*it is known to have antibacterial properties. 

Well, that's all folks! :) 

Many of you have asked what oils do I use when I say "My Oil Mix".. well in my bottles your will find: 

On my daily bottle: 

*Castor Oil (Coconut Oil for the warm months); 
*Jojoba Oil
*Argan Oil
*Sweet Almond Oil

On my second bottle you will find Black Castor Oil with a pinch of Jojoba Oil. 

Do you have a favorite oil that your hair and skin cannot be with out?  Please share them with us by leaving a comment :)