Good Bye to our Protective Style #1

Wow, Ms. Bree's protective style lasted 24 days!! 

But I think is time to say good bye to the box braids and is now time to do a pre-poo wash treatment and band it for a couple of days in order to style it.  

This is a quick post summarizing the last four weeks.  If you missed our original post, make sure you read Back to School and Box Braids as our Protective Style  which was posted on January 7th, 2013.

DAY 1

Day 4:

Box Braids in a single pony tail (flower hair clip)

Day 5

"Box Braids in 2 Pony Tails"

Day 9:

Lose box braids with crochet hat.

The important thing to remember is that while box braids are a great protective style, you must remember to continue to care for their hair as you  normally would do.

If you missed our post on how we maintain our box braids, please read our post here: How to Maintain Box Braids

I always used Bee Mine Natural Hair Products daily to keep her hair hydrated and to give her braids a healthy and shiny look.  

Also remember to massage the scalp every so often and check the braids at least one a day to make sure they are not too tight and causing stress on the scalp.

Day 20

Day 24

I will be washing her hair tonight and most likely I will band it and keep it that way for a day or two until I have enough time to style her hair again.

L.O.C. Method by KandyLandKurls

The L.O.C. Method by KandyLandKurls

The L.O.C. Method is a very simple method that helps retain moisture in your hair.  

One of our favorite mama's has recently posted  about this amazing method by further explaining the very simple three steps and the products you may want to use if you do decide that the LOC Method is for you.

I use the LOC method on Ms. Bree's hair since one of our greatest challenge is retaining moisture.  

I use water as my liquid;
100% Virgin Coconut Oil as my oil;
and Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer.

So, head over to www.kandylandkurls.blogspot.com to read more about this wonderful method! 

Our Youtube Videos!!

We have added our first two videos!  Come and see them at youtube.com

Hairstyles of a Curly Child Part 1

Hairstyles of a Curly Child- Part 2

We are in the process of editing our "Washing Routine" video and "Banding Video", so stay tuned for those.

We are also working on Ms. Bree's 4th Birthday Party decorations, I will have fun party favors, cheap table decorations and more.  

Book Review

SOFIA THE FIRST

We all have heard of and seen "Sofia the First" on the Disney Channel.  

Ms. Bree is also a big fan of Sofia and I decided to give her the book as a Christmas present.  Not many items are on the market due to the fact that the show is fairly new.

I really like this book, the story in the book summarizes the movie "Sofia The First" which aired last December.  Which by the way, I had to record because Ms. Bree wanted to watch it over and over again. 

The illustrations are amazing and the length of paragraphs on each page made it very easy for Ms. Bree to understand and it was also easy for my six year old to read out loud.

Overview:

Meet Sofia, a little girl who lives a rather ordinary life. But everything changes when her mother, Miranda, marries the king. Overnight, Sofia becomes a princess, moves into the castle, gains a step-brother, a step-sister... and the ability to talk to her new animal friends thanks to a magical amulet! Now, life is anything but ordinary for Sofia the First!

Book Information:

      Author:  Catherine Hapka
Illustrator:  Grace Lee
Publisher:   Disney Press
For Ages:     3+



This is a very cute story for young kids, especially if your little one is as "princess-obsessed" as mine and it would be a great gift for any little girl who loves fairy tales.

Day 9 of Box Braids

Due to the amazing good weather we are experiencing, my husband and I decided to take the kids to the park.

Ms. Bree's protective style are small box braids and cornrows.  My original plan plan was to leave this style for two weeks, we are now on day 9 and I'm seriously thinking about undoing the cornrows and do more box braids.

Little Man still is letting his hair grow, look at that hair!

Now remember, just because the hair is in a protective style, it doesn't mean you don't have anything to it.   It is important to keep the edges and ends moisturized as well.  You can use your favorite moisturizer for this.
  
I spray her braids daily (once a day) with Bee Mine Juicy Moisturizing Daily Spritz.

  Bee Mine Juicy Moisturizing Daily Spritz

And I usually wash her scalp (without taking her braids out) at least once a week. The last time we did box braids, Ms. Bree had them for almost four weeks.

Update on Protective Style

This is just a quick update on Ms. Bree's Protective Style.

I styled her hair in box braids and cornrows on Sunday, January 6th. 

Day Four:

Finally at home! This picture was taken after school on Thursday.  Ms. Bree actually went to the playground twice on this day due to the good weather.

Day Five:

Most likely I will be co-washing her hair (without taking her style out) on Sunday to make sure all the sand is out of her scalp. 

Rocking their Fro While Skating. .

As I mentioned on one of my last posts, I've decided to let Ms. Bree wear her hair "free" a bit more often in order to give her scalp a break from all the styling.  

My husband and I decided to take the kids to the new Skating Rink near our house and see how the kids felt about the whole "skating" idea.

So here they are rocking their "little big hair" while having fun at SK8 City!!

                

GET THE LOOK:

I washed Ms. Bree's hair in the morning then I applied the following products to her wet hair:

1. 100% Coconut Oil; and

2.  Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer.

Ms. Bree stayed indoors the entire time until her hair was 100% dry.  NOTE:  the reason I do this is to prevent her hair from frizzing and becoming tangled.

About an hour before going to the skate rink I applied very light coat of Eco Styler Gel (with Argan Oil) !!

Now, Little Man has not had a haircut in about three (3) weeks because he kindly informed me that he does NOT want his hair cut.  (We will see how long that lasts)

Little Man's hair is different from my daughter's hair.  

After washing his hair  with Curly Q's Cleaning Creme and Curly Q's Coconut Cream Moisturizer Conditioner, I applied the following:

1. Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer with a little bit of 

2. Bee Mine Curly Butter and done.  

His hair retains moisture a lot longer than Ms. Bree's and requires very little products.  

Back to School & Protective Style

Last week was a very short school week for the kids and I decided to keep Ms Bree's hair banded for two days.

  

   

One of our favorite Blogs, Kandy Land Kurls is hosting another great challenge, Kandy Land Kurls 2013 Protective Style Challenge, and we are showing our support by styling Ms. Bree's hair in small box braids and front cornrows in order to protect her delicate hairline.

Don't forget to head over to Kandy Land Kurls and enter their challenge and win amazing products or just to get ideas on how to do protective styles.

Due to Ms. Bree's amount of hair, I had to divide this process in two days, after all she is only three years old and keeping her still for more than 45 minutes is never a good idea.   So, I started by doing the box braids on Saturday and did the cornrows on Sunday.

The Products:

* Creme of Nature Argan Oil Moisturizing Shampoo;

* Bee Mine Deep Conditioner;

* 100% Coconut Oil;

* Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer.

After washing and deep conditioning her hair on Tuesday:

 *  I applied 100% Coconut Oil to the wet hair;

 *  Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer.

Sectioned her hair the way I wanted it and banded the hair for 2 days.

Before doing the box braids: 

* I removed the bands from one section and created a small square;

* I sprayed a tiny bit of water to her roots

* Applied more 100% Coconut Oil

* Followed by Bee Mine Curly Butter.  

I repeated the process until all the back sections were styled in box braids:

I used rubber bands at the ends and used a tiny bit of Eco Styler gel and did finger coils.  

NOTE:  The rubber bands do eventually break and fall off or sometimes I take them off, by the time this happens the braids and the finger coils are completely set and the braids do not unravel.  

The Cornrows:

 * I repeated the same steps by spraying a little bit of water on the roots 

 * Then I applied 100% coconut oil to her scalp and roots.

 * Followed by Bee Mine Curly butter.

After a day or two, I will gather all her box braids into a lose bun in order to protect her ends during the week.

"Protective Styles" are very important during the winter months.  It can help retain length and/or promote hair length by minimizing breakage.  

Protective styling can and is very beneficial for the hair but you must remember to continue to care for the hair properly my making sure the hair is very well  moisturized, look for tension of the scalp and by making sure the ends are protected.

Which protective style is your favorite??  Don't forget to share with us all your pictures and comments.  

Hello Kitty & Scooby Doo Chia Pet Projects

These were another amazing Christmas gifts my children received from their Dad!!

They first saw the Chia Pet commercials a few days before Christmas and they went crazy about them. My husband and I decided that it would be something different and fun to give them.  

Although, you can find the different designs at any Walgreens, Kmart, Rite Aids and most CVS Pharmacies, I waited too long to buy them and couldn't find any of them at any store.

But my husband DID FIND THEM and he truly surprised the children (and me) on Christmas Day.  Unfortunately, he couldn't find the Spongebob Squarepants Chia Pet but he was able to find Scooby Doo and little man was more than happy to get it.

Ms. Bree's Chia Pet:

You can also purchase it here:  Hello Kitty Chia Pet

" Day 6 "

Back View:                                             Side View:

Little Man's Chia Pet:

You can also purchase here: Scooby Doo Chia Pet

" Day 6 "

   

Back View

Front View

This is something that can be done as a family activity and its very easy to do.  

Both Chia planters had to soak for an hour (while others require to soak overnight), which is the same amount of time required for the seed mixture to thicken.  

While the planters were soaking I mixed the seeds with the required amount of water and had the kids stirred the mixture every 15 ms until it was thick.

You can either let the kids use their fingers or a plastic spoon to spread the seed mixture onto the Chia planter.  Ms. Bree used one of her knives from her kitchen while little man used his fingers....eek!

This is another way to teach the kids "responsibility".  (BIG PLUS FOR ME)

The Chia planters need to be kept full of water, which means the kids need to add water every day.  

Little Man reminds his sister every day (usually after dinner) that the "Chi Chi Pet needs to drink water", and he helps her add water to the planter.

We are now in Day 6 and you can clearly see how the seeds are starting to grow.  

Now, I will say that Ms. Bree's Hello Kitty Chia Pet held the seeds better than my son's Scooby Doo.  I am not sure as to why but we will do this again when the time comes and hope for better results.  

I will probably get the Spongebob Squarepants at a later time for my little man.

Overall this is a fun activity for kids of all ages.  

Our Christmas Celebration in Pictures!

2013 is here! Christmas and New Year's have passed and now we are trying to get back into our daily routines.  While my  husband went back to work on the 26th, I had the opportunity to stay home with the kids until January 1st.  

Ms. Bree's first day back to school was January 2nd and Lil Man's first day back to school was January 3rd.  

We were able to do a lot of special things with the kids this year and I am so glad my  husband loves to capture these moments in pictures.

"Making Smores"- more like burning marshmallows!

Who doesn't like to make S'mores?? I think every child does, I personally never had one before and after this I will probably never will!  

My son had the great idea of making some and my husband just went along with it.  

After I had gathered all the necessary ingredients to make the infamous S'mores, the children decided they didn't need any cookies and/or chocolate.  

Okay, so the kids really loved the idea  but EUK! The mess and the taste .. enough said.. lets move on.


"Our Christmas Village"

The assembling of our "Christmas Village" is something I do with my children every year.  

This can be fun but a headache is always guaranteed with this as well.  Every year my husband buys me a house (or two) to add to my village and now I have a total of fourteen building (i.e. Churches, Lighthouse, Fire Station, Grocery Stores, etc.) a Musical Carousel, Trees of all sizes, people and all animals.  


"The Night Before Christmas"

The reading of "The Night Before Christmas" is another tradition that we started a few years ago.  

On this night each child gets to open one present (not a toy, we give the kids new pajamas with matching slippers and a book), we drink hot cocoa and eat cookies.  

   

Little Man is now 6 years old and he knows exactly what kind of present he gets the night before Christmas and always looks forward to it.

"The Presents"

"The Opening of Their Presents"

Or what I like to tall "the aftermath" (in my most dramatic voice). it took them approximately two hours and several "you can play with it later, open the next one"...to open all their gifts and there are no words for the mess afterward.  

"Christmas Dinner"

This year we invited another family over to share Christmas Dinner with us so we set up the table a bit different from previous years.

The adult table:

and the children's table:

"The Outfits"

The girls decided to wear their new "Brave" dresses.  While Ms. A. decided to wear her hair lose adorned by a single flower clip, Ms. Bree wanted two simple buns with a "zig-zag" parting.  Simple right!

The boys ...well, they were too busy playing!

We truly enjoyed staying home with the kids for almost two weeks, but now it's time to get ready for our next big event, "Ms. Bree's 4th Birthday Party"!!

Don't forget to share all your amazing pictures with us!!  

Nina Bonita by Ana Maria Machado

              By: Ana Maria Machado
Illustrated: Rosana Faria

This beautiful  book was given to Ms. Bree as a Christmas present (Thanks Grandma!!).  

Nina Bonita is available in English & Spanish for those who have bilingual children.  Ms. Bree was given the hardcover English version.

The very fist thing my daughter noticed was Nina Bonita's dark and curly hair- "look just like mine mami".  As we continued to read the book she then noticed the picture where Nina Bonita's mother was braiding her hair and using colorful ribbons.  Yes, just like we do...   

This is a story about a little white rabbit who fells in love with Nina Bonita's dark skin and how he wanted to be as dark and pretty as she was.  After three failed attempts, he finally discovered why Nina Bonita's skin is so dark and pretty, it's all about genetics.

I love the illustrations, they are very simple and colorful.   This is a perfect book for the little ones who are just beginning to read by themselves, it teaches them acceptance with a sense of humor and it also teaches them that all shades of color are beautiful.

If you would like to obtain this book for your little one, click:  Nina Bonita: A Story (Children's Books from Around the World)


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Ana Maria Machado was born in 1941 in Rio de Janeiro and is, alongside Lygia Bojunga Nunes and Ruth Rocha, one of the most significant children's book authors in Brazil. She started her career as a painter in Rio de Janeiro and New York City. After studyingRomance languages she did a PhD with Roland Barthes at the 'École pratique des hautes études' in Paris. She worked as journalist for the magazine 'Elle' in Paris and the BBC inLondon. In 1979, she opened the first children’s literature bookshop in Brazil, 'Malasartes'.

In 1969, Ana Maria Machado started to write. "I belong to that generation of writers who began to write during the military dictatorship, as children’s literature, alongside poetry and song texts, were amongst the few literary forms with which, through the poetic and symbolic use of language, you could make the ideas of a joie de vivre, individual freedom and respect for human rights known." Her story 'Menina Bonita do laço de fita' (1986) about a white and a black rabbit who marry and have a whole hoard of black, white and black and white patterned children, is a charming book about the living together of diverse ethnic groups. In 'Era uma vez um tirano' (1982) three children defy a tyrant who has forbidden colour, thoughts and any happiness. Without pointing fingers, Ana Maria Machado always dresses up her messages in humorous stories and trusts the ability of her young readers to also read between the lines.

Similar to many Brazilian children’s book authors of her generation, Ana Maria Machado stands in the tradition of the first great children’s book author, Jose Bento Monteiro Lobato (1882–1948). Her writing is marked, in the style of "magical realism", by a subtle mix of social satire and fantastic elements as well as a conscious and playful use of language and narrative structures. In 'História meio ao contrario' (1978), Ana Maria Machado turns the classic narrative structure of the fairy tale on its head and lets her story begin with: "And if they didn’t die, then they are still alive today" and end with "once upon a time".

In 'Bisa Bia, Bisa Bel' (1982), one of her central works, Isabell’s internal dialogue with her dead great-grandmother, Bisa Bia, and her own great-grandchild from the future, Bisa Bel, becomes a magical journey to the invisible connections between the generations, which finally allow Isabell to find her own way. For the author, fantasy also means to expand the sense for space and time and to allow reality and fantasy to mix with each other.

Just as brilliantly in ‘Palavra de Honra’ (2005, Engl: Word of Honour) Machado tells the story of a Luso-Brazilian family which has become very wealthy since their arrival in the 19th century. The reader encounters Letícia, who tries to reconstruct her own story out of the dispersed remains of the family legacy.

Ana Maria Machado has written more than hundred books for children and adults in 17 countries for which she has received the most significant Brazilian awards and many international honours. In 2000, she was awarded the 'Hans Christian Andersen Award' for her life work, the most significant international prize for youth and children’s literature. Ana Maria Machado lives with her family in Rio de Janeiro.

Additional Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-A young girl living in a coastal South American town has a blacker skin tone than any of her family members or playmates. A white rabbit, entranced by the girl's skin, "dark and glossy, just like a panther in the rain," implores her to reveal her beauty secrets. Nina Bonita, who doesn't really know why she's so dark, gives the rabbit three ridiculous possibilities, which he duplicates with disappointing results. Persistently, the rabbit asks for a fourth explanation, and the final one is provided by the girl's mother-the child is the same color as her black grandmother. The white rabbit, satisfied with a truthful answer, proceeds to marry a black rabbit and produce a plethora of children of various hues. With its unique setting and engaging characterizations, this gentle and entertaining exploration of mixed-race families is appealing. Soft, colored-pencil illustrations depict Nina Bonita and the rabbit in the larger context of a diverse village where people live comfortably despite superficial differences. This translation has retained the rhythmic cadences of the Spanish language, making it suitable for reading aloud.
Tana Elias, Meadowridge Branch Library, Madison, WI
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Other Reviews:

"This enchanting story of diversity, in which a very white rabbit falls in love with a very dark girl and longs to discover the secret for being so dark and pretty, juxtaposes soft illustrations with simple text. It is perfect for reading alone or for group sharing." --- Publishers Weekly

"Soft, colored-pencil illustrations depict Nina Bonita and the rabbit in the larger context of a diverse village where people live comfortably despite superficial differences. This translation has retained the rhythmic cadences of the Spanish language, making it suitable for reading aloud." --- School Library Journal

"The softly-colored illustrations of Nina s seaside life give subtle nuance to a story that explains color most imaginatively and with great wisdom, a simple lesson easily learned about differences and acceptance." --- Curled Up Kids