Natural Hair Care: Daily Tips by Chi Chi Sophistication

Hello everyone and welcome back!! 

I am delighted to introduce you to our new series of blog posts called "Natural Hair Care: Daily Tips" written by the professionals of Chi Chi Sophistication Natural Hair Care Studios.  

As it is implied by the name of our new blog series, these tips will help you along your natural hair journey.   Whether you have just begun your journey or a proud mother of a curly kid and interested in keeping their curly tresses as healthy as possible.

We will post this posts once a day but if you have a tip of your own, please feel free to share them with us by leaving a comment below!! 

"Having a Wash Day Regimen is the beginning of the natural hair care process.  Shampooing your child's hair on a weekly/bi-weekly basis will ensure a clean, healthy scalp and hair."  By Keianna Johnson, Chi Chi Sophistication Natural Hair Studio.

A Little Background Information...

Now, because this is the very first post of this series, let me tell you a little bit about our friend over a Chi Chi Sophistication:

Chi Chi Sophistication Natural Hair Studio is own by Keianna Johnson.  She provides natural hair and braiding services for children and teens ages 2-17.  Ms. Keianna's services caters to the individual scalp and hair care needs of the clients.  Chemicals are not used during hair care services. 

Chi Chi Sophistication Natural Hair Studio has built its reputation upon caring for the natural hair needs of children and teens.  She is proud to continuously achieve or highest goal of delivering exceptional customer service, coupled wit complete product care.  Keinna consistently strives to exceed her client's expectations and pledge to reach beyond those needs by executing age-appropriate hairstyles for children, as well as trendy and chic hairstyles for teens. 

Chi Chi Sophistication Natural Hair Studio believes in providing a safe, healthy, fun, relaxing environment for children and teens. All conversations, music, television programming, books and video games conducted in their studio are all in the best interested of the child. 

So, if you are in the Waldorf, Maryland area then you are one of the lucky ones who can actually take advantage of her services!! I personally wish she can mail herself to me every 14 days in order to care for Ms. Bree's hair... :D  

Hey! Don't judge me, when our schedules are overbooked and my energy is running low, doing hair is the last thing I want to do :(  

Make sure to connect with her if you interested in learning more about her services and prices!! Tell her WE sent you :D  

Connect With Chi Chi Sophistication

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Email |chichisophistication@comcast.net

Memorial Day Activities and Favorite Recipes....

Our children are officially out of school and their summer vacation has begun.  I know, I know, Summer doesn't technically starts until June 20th. 

The last week of May doesn't only bring the end of the school year but it also brings a very important date to remember.  Memorial Day is a day of prayer for absolute and permanent peace.. 

While many of us will be firing up our grill, having pool parties with some fireworks or maybe you have plans to enjoy the weather by visiting your local beach.  

It is imperative that we explain to our children that Memorial Day it's an occasion to honor the men and women who have died serving our country. 

Did you know.....

"Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day, a day to honor American Civil War dead.  Following World War I, Memorial Day became a day to honor soldiers killed in all war"...

Find memorial Day Lessons here: NEA: Memorial Day Lesson Ideas K-5th

My Favorite Activities....

Patriotic Wreath

This easy to make wreath can be used for Memorial Day, Independence Day and/or Fourth of July.  This craft will not break your bank when buying the required materials and it can be used year after year, saving you even more money.

However, I will warn you, it can be time consuming and if you choose to do a larger size wreath, you will most likely spend an entire afternoon wrapping the yard around the foam wreath.

 Memorial Day Crafts for Kids

by

Metroparent.com

Popsicle Stick Star Streamers

"Pom-Pom" American Flag Painting

My Favorite Recipes....

Strawberry Blueberry Limeade 

by 

The Taylor House. 

Check out her website to get this delicious recipe The Taylor House: Strawberry Blueberry Limeade Recipe.

Watermelon Stars with Strawberries and Blueberries

by

Amanda of Wit & Whistle

Baked Beans Cowboy Style

by

WickedGoodKitchen.com

How delicious!! Of course we all have our own special recipes our families love... you know the ones that have your kids lick their fingers!!  :)

Now, who can forget the special sales from clothing stores! After all we do have to get all of our swimwear ready for the beach!! 

We hope you have a safe and fabulous three day weekend!! 

Life After Tonsillectomy- A Month After Her Surgery

Hello Everyone!! 

Ms. Bree's Tonsillectomy surgery was performed thirty four (34) days ago today.  Can you believe it?  It has been a rough thirteen months for us but I think I am finally seeing the light at the end of tunnel.  

In my post "Her Journey To Surgery: Tonsillectomy", I explained how long her journey had been and how helpless we felt during her monthly fevers before her surgery was finally scheduled.  

A lot of our fans have asked why did it take so long for surgery to be scheduled. I agree that nine months of reoccurring fevers are a bit too much for a child's little body to endure.  

As a rule, pediatricians can only advise this type of surgery after making sure the tonsils are causing a chronic problem.  Unfortunately, during the beginning months, Ms. Bree had no signs of red or pink throat, she had a good cell count, no throat ache, no ear ache nor congestion.  However, she would occasionally complain of a tummy ache.  It was not until January 7th, 2016 that she was officially diagnosed with Tonsillitis and her second diagnosis was in February 8th, 2016.    

When the doctor tells you "children recover faster than adults" believe them!  Usually, tonsillectomy is done as an outpatient procedure, which means that the child will be able to go home the same day.  

Day 2 Post Surgery: 

The diet suggestion throughout the first few days included the following: 

Drinks: water, tea, apple juice, gatorade, milk, milkshakes, popsicles, jell-o (drinks that contained high levels of acidic were not allowed)  While she was allowed to have soda, it was not preferred. 

Thankfully she understood that she couldn't have anything "red" and soda, therefore she opted to stick with Frappucinos and Milkshakes. 

Food: Bland foods that are easy to swallow like ice cream, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, applesauce, grits, noodles, pasta, macaroni and cheese, dumpling, soft chicken (bake or boiled, not fried) and meatloaf.  

Food was one of the most difficult parts for her.  Ms. Bree is a big eater and by Day 2, she wanted to eat everything that she was not allowed to eat.  She had a lot of mac and cheese, plain noodles with grated parmesan cheese.  She also ate a lot of ice cream sandwiches, popsicles and chicken breast (rotisserie style). 

Our instructions were to concentrate on hydration rather than nutrition and that's exactly what we did.  We took cues from her and we watched her behavior closely for any indication that she was in a lot of pain.

The anticipated recovery time was two weeks and the only activities allowed were lot of "bed rest" and "quiet activities".  No running, lifting, yelling, swimming are allowed.  

Day 3 Post Surgery:

By  Day 3 she was so bored, tired of taking naps and coloring quietly in the company of Grandmother.   She followed instructions wonderfully by not yelling and running around the house. 

We were also advised that while you are able to controlled the pain throat with medication, the pain becomes more severe during the 3rd and 4th day and usually peaks during the 7th-10th day.  

She was so blessed, the severe pain we were told to expect, never came! While she continued to take the antibiotics like a champion, she really didn't require a lot of pain medication and I'm so thankful for that. As parents, we hate to see our children in pain and no power to take it away. 

We were expecting some nasal speech or nasal regurgitation as we were told that both can sometimes occur, but Ms Bree didn't experience either of those things. 

However, her breath was out of this world!   We didn't make it a big deal, in fact, we explained to our son why Ms. Bree had a foul odor coming from her mouth, and why he shouldn't say anything to her.  After all, we really couldn't do anything about it, the foul odor is often present during the healing process.  We were told that swelling of the tongue, uvula and throat are common and it usually goes away within seven days.  During the first two days, Ms. Bree had a hard time opening her mouth in order to brush her teeth, so we did our best to keep her teeth cleaned.

Ms. Bree's follow up with Dr. Oliver was on March 24th, 2016 at which time she was given the "green light" to return to school and was told she could slowly return to her regular activities. (except the trampoline)

Day 16 Post Surgery:

Ms. Bree was so excited that she had been given the "ok" to attend her best friend's birthday party! 

While I anticipated for her to be a little bit more tired than usual after the party, she was not.  She didn't require a nap after the party at all.

Day 17 Post Surgery:

Her first day back at Church was so amazing.  The kids were also looking forward to the "Egg Hunt".  Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and the Egg Hunt didn't take place.  However, their Pastor and staff did a great job making sure the kids had fun and they each received a bag full of goodies. 

Day 31 Post Surgery:

April 9th, 2016 

April 9th was a very important date for her and for me as well.  We celebrated little man's "special friend's" birthday, the celebration took place at the "Get Air" and what kid doesn't like a "jumping place"?

It was important to me because as I mentioned before, her fevers were a monthly occurrence and she would have them anywhere between the 5th -8th of the month.    Well, the fevers never came!! 

I can see the change in her.  She no longer snores and she has not complained of any tummy aches.  Like every child, she will get sick, she will experience the occasional cold or sore throat.  We deeply believe the surgery worked and her quality of life has improved.  While I know it has only been 34 days since her surgery, the fevers didn't strike this month and her daily activities were not affected at all.   

Ms. Bree has been able to enjoy birthday parties, play dates, church and the good old Strawberry Festival!  She is back to her old happy self, enjoying everything in life and everything in the refrigerator!!  And that ladies and gentlemen, makes us very happy and very broke but we gladly accept being broke if it means having our children happy and healthy!  LOL  

Light It Up Blue for Autism!

Hello Everyone!! 

March is officially gone and April is here!!  

Today we are taking part of something special. 

Every year, autism organizations around the world celebrate the day with unique fundraising and awareness-raising events.  Our children are participating in their school fundraising by dressing in blue for a $1.00 donation, all funds will towards "Heard Elementary Autism Program".

But why stop there!   Join us as we pledge along with thousand of others to "Light It Up Blue" #LIUB  and help us turn awareness into action.  Your gift, whether big or small will help change the future of every single child or adult who is affected by autism. 

There is no doubt that your child has encounter children with autism at school, church or at the park, and if he has not, he probably will sometime in the near future.  Studies show that the number of children with autism are continuing to rise.   

Sometimes our children don't understand what they see.  As parents, it is our job to prepare our children to face certain situations with empathy and understanding. 

Need tips or help on  how to explain Autism to your young child?  Here is a colorful 4 Page Booklet on a PDF Format that can be easily printed.  Bridges 4 Kids: Growing_Up_Together.

In this world, it is imperative that we raise our children to be kind and supportive to others.  To truly see the person not their disability.  

Use hashtags #LIUB to share your experience across social media and help light the world up blue this April! 

Easy Spring Crafts for Kids- Project 3: Easter Egg Wreath

I just love spring and the many activities we can do during this time with our kids.  As I mentioned on our first post, I love spending quality time with our children which is very important to me.  

Ms. Bree knows how much I enjoy making new wreaths for our home.  Therefore, she wanted to make one for her room.  Instead of buying all the materials I would normally buy to make a wreath for our front door, I decided to buy this pack of 30 Foam shapes. 

All Easter theme items are on sale at 50% off their regular price at our local crafting store and the final price for the foam shape pack for $4.79.  They already have the "egg" shape we need and the pastel colors are perfect for this project.

PROJECT 3

EASTER EGGS WREATH  

Unlike the last two projects, your little ones are going to required a little bit more of your help, specially with the assembling of the wreath.

What you will need to have: 

13 Oval Shape Foams (or Easter theme scrapbook paper);
Glue;
Markers; and
Piece of Ribbon

First thing to do is to ask your child how big they want their wreath to be.  I used thirteen (13) shapes to create ours.  

The next step is to decorate the oval shapes.   You can use markers and draw lines, circles, flowers, whatever design your little one wants to have or you can print Easter Eggs Coloring pages, color, cut and paste them onto your shapes. 

Once the shapes are decorated to the satisfaction of your little artist, it is time to assemble the wreath. 

You will need two pieces of ribbon of you choosing.   Make a bow using your first piece of ribbon and glue it to the front.  

Add the second piece of ribbon to the back of your wreath to hang it and now you're all done!!   

There it is ladies and gentlemen.... for less than $5.00 your little one can create his or her own Easter Theme Wreath!! 

Happy Crafting and stay tuned for our next Easy Spring Crafts for Kids!!  

Review on Monster High Boo York Boo York & More

Hello again Everyone!!  

Today we will be talking about Monster High!  Our daughter has been fascinated with these  monsters for quiet some time.  

Ms. Bree asked for several of the dolls and received some Monster High dolls for Christmas and some for her her 7th Birthday a few weeks ago.  The majority of the dolls are from the new line, Boo York, Boo York.  She also received a Wii Game, the new Deadluxe High School Play Set and some storage trunks.  

This will be the first post of a two posts series.  We can, but we will not go over all the Monster High items on one post.    

Monster High New Ghoul in School (Nintendo Wii) 

I have to admit I like seeing her play this game and I love playing the game myself.  Okay, NO, I'm not allowed to play the game without her but I do play the game when Ms. Bree can't figure out how to find the object she is supposed to find in order to move to next challenge.  

**I will say this, the game has a couple of difficult parts.  But not too complicated. If you press #2 at the bottom of your remote, a green arrow will appear letting you in which direction to look in order to find the object.

In this game, the child gets to pick how their "Ghoul" looks, whether is a vampire, werewolf, werecat, ghost, zombie or mummy.  They get to select skin color, hair color and screename.  Then the adventure begins!  The child will receive (oral and written) directions.

PLEASE NOTE: Wii Remote and Wii Nunchuck Controller are required to be able to play this game.  

Here is a little video of her playing the game. 

Monster High Boo York, Boo York DVD: 

Product Description: The Monster High gang returns for this trip to the big city, Boo York, for a musical adventure of frights, fashion, and new friends. 

Our Review:

I would pick a Monster High movie a thousand times over a Barbie movie.  Yes, this is a musical but  and is full of contemporary music- rock, and clean rap.  The songs are not annoying as you would think.   

While some reviewers believe that it has too much boyfriend/girlfriend action, I disagree.  Cleo and Deux have been an item in every single movie, and its no different in this movie.  It contains the usual positive message and observations about diversity.  It teaches the little ones that they don't have to do what other people want them to do.  To be true to themselves as well as the value of friendship.

New York and the landmarks of this city are on the center stage, and who doesn't like a good multi-threaded plot with some suspense and action.   

With this movie came a new line of character dolls as well as a CD described as an "original motion picture soundtrack".  I purchased the soundtrack for Ms. Bree so that she may listen to it whenever and as many times she wants.  

Here is one of Bree's favorite songs from the movie.  

Monster High Deadluxe High School Play set

Product Description:     Monster High Deadluxe High School Playset

With multiple levels and rooms, the Monster High Deadluxe High School Playset holds plenty of ghoulish secrets. Slimey tentacles emerge from a locker to offer your doll a seat. Head to the library/Study Howl to find a secret passageway between the walls, then eat lunch in the Creepateria. In the Vampire Lounge, hang a Monster High student upside down (doll not included) by clipping the doll's feet directly to the ceiling or snapping him or her into the gore-gous pink and black quilted chair that attaches to the ceiling. Wander into a classroom to take notes from the monstrous blackboard and try not to get sent to Headmistress Bloodgood's office! The hidden office reveals itself only when the clock tower is opened. Hang out in the main hallway, which doubles as an event space with plenty of freak-tabulous accessories, then head up the sinister staircase to the radio station, which supplies the ghostly beats. With guillotine silhouettes, spider webbing and other monstrous details, this playset offers plenty of creepy fun!

Product Highlights

• Main entrance is great for hosting parties, such as the monstrous school dance
• Radio station with radio booth and signage on the first floor
• Library/Study Howl hides a secret passageway
• Hang your Monster High dolls upside down in the Vampire Lounge using the black and pink quilted chair or by clipping your doll's feet directly to the ceiling
• Take notes in the freaky classroom from the monstrous blackboard
• Access Headmistress Bloodgood's hidden office by opening the clock tower
• Playset features multiple levels and rooms for hours of ghastly fun
• Slimey tentacles come out of a locker to create a chair
• Folds with accessories inside for storage
• Note: Monster High dolls not included

For this specific Deadluxe play set you are going to need a large space! 

What can I say about this playhouse... she loves it!!  I was hesitant in buying this item at first.  It is not really cheap (unless you are able to get it on sale) and like many kids, my kids can and will lose interest in some toys within a few weeks.  I am amazed that she continues to play with this set every minute she has for free play.  Keep in mind this was given to her as a Christmas Gift almost two months ago.  

There is so much space containing doll holders for her to place and/or store her dolls, three (3) stories and eight (8) rooms in total! As well as chairs, picnic tables, desks and other accessories to re-create an every day high school scene.  

My Husband and Daddy had to put it together and it does take some time.  As you can see on the above picture, it is pretty big once this play set is fully assembled.  If does not fold completely into a neat rectangle like some doll houses.  When folded this play set resembles more of a triangle, freeing some space. 

I am truly impressed with all the little details like:

• the spooky spider webs;
• the sneeze guard over the "food" in the "Creepateria";
• the DJ Beat station, 
• You can also hang your Monster High doll upside down in the Vampire Lounge using the black and pink quilted chair or by clipping your doll's feet directly to the ceiling; and
• Take notes in the freaky classroom from the monstrous blackboard.

To be honest, this is by far, the best product I have purchased.  With the years Ms. Bree has received Frozen Castle and other sets but quickly lost interest in them.  

Bottom line ladies, I totally recommend this product!! 

Interested in purchasing these items?  Click on the links below: 

Monster High New Ghoul in School (Nintendo Wii);

Monster High Boo York, Boo York DVD; 

Monster High Deadluxe High School Play set

Don't miss our next post and subscribing to our blog! 

How To Help Your Kids Get Ready For A Test

Hello Everyone!!

We would like to continue to talk about our children and their return to school!  Let us start by wishing all the little ones who will be taking their weekly tests on Friday, GOOD LUCK, YOU ARE SMART and YOU WILL DO GREAT!!

Weekly testing is now a very common event for our children, whether they are in Elementary, Primary or Secondary School.

Oh, I remember those days and I hated them.  My anxiety would always get the best of me.  I would stare at the paper and my mind would automatically go blank.   It really didn't matter how hard and how long I would study, the answers would go in my "locked box" to which I could never find the key in time to do the test.

Questions I knew the answers to, but couldn't remember single one response because of my inability to calm myself down to really think.  And if you add to that my fear that if I received a low grade, things were not going to be "good" at home.   Those two are very bad when they are combined together.

Our two children are so different, they may look like twins, but they are far from it.  My son reminds me of my younger self.  The way our son behaves usually tells me how he is feeling. 

 Our children's weekly tests are English: Spelling, Vocabulary and Math.   Our daughter who is in First Grade is also takes "Reading" tests. 

As parents we are able to help our children face any fear or pressure they may have when it comes to tests.

You don't have to study with them all the time.  While we suggest you "be there" for your child, it is also important that they learn how to study independently.  Let's be realistic, we cannot always be there.  BUT, it is important that we teach them how to study efficiently. 

MATH:

While our son is learning the multiplication tables, our daughter is learning simple addition.  My husband is very strict when it comes to the subject of mathematics, the children practiced simple "math facts" during the summer therefore every day we practice "Math Drills".   

MATH DRILLS:

Math drills is what the teachers use in their classroom.  I suggest you ask your child's teacher which sites she uses in order for you to obtain "free printable math worksheets".   I simply start by giving them the 1 Minute Math Drills which contains 20 math problems, and then we move up to the 3 Minutes Math Drills which has 60 math problems.

It is important you remind them that "these are new problems, therefore, it is okay if they cannot complete them all", practice makes everyone perfect.   

FLASHCARDS:

You can find flashcards everywhere, but you can also print your own or you can even use blank index cards and write your own. 

I use the flashcards below for our son:

What I like about them is that on one side of the cards is a very simple problem but the other side has one that is a bit more difficult.   With these cards my son doesn’t feel overwhelmed at all.    

PAPER:

This is something that my husband and I don't see eye to eye.  While he believes in "doing problems in your head", I deeply believe in the use of a sheet of paper.  Now, encourage whatever technique works for your child.  

I always tell my son to use a blank sheet of paper and write/draw the problem out as well as to look/find and underline key words like "less than", "fewer than", "more than".  I don't think a teacher will ever deny him the ability to use a scratch paper.

READING:

I'm currently taking a different approach with our daughter with her reading, comprehending and spelling.  Ms. Bree's class is currently reading "Wizard of Oz".  I stay in touch with her teacher and she kindly tells me the chapters she is currently reading to the class.  Bree and I then read the same chapters at home, we do this every night.  We ask her questions about the story to make sure she is improving her "comprehension" skills. (i.e. "what color was the road?", and "who was OZ?", "who was the main character(s)?").

When it comes to our son, we are continuing to read "Magic Treehouse Series" (which we will tell you all about on our next post).  Google is a powerful tool and you can pretty much find anything!  In this case, I am able to find and print "Comprehensive Test" for every single book in the series.  Some of the tests are "multiple choice" while others require for him to "Describe" things in his answer.

 WRITING/SPELLING:

Ms. Bree gets 10 Spelling words and 10 Sight words a week, while our son gets 20 spelling words, 5 Challenge Words. 

FLASH CARDS are great for this too!  Bree already knows her first 100 sight words, therefore, it feels like review time for her.  When it comes to her spelling words, we study 3 words per day by saying them out loud.  Then on Thursdays and Friday morning, we review all sight words and spelling words before I drop them off at school.

Little man so far has not required extra time to study his spelling words as he seems to know them all already.  However, we do spend extra time reminding him that he MUST take his time and write neatly so that his teacher won't mark his answer wrong.   It is important that they understand that they take the time to write clearly and to check their work at least two times before turning the work in.

Nevertheless, what works for our son is "repetition".  He writes the words from 3 to 5 times, we then take a "practice test" and we continue to do this throughout the week until he has them all.

At last, we pray for them… We pray for our children every day but we have a special prayer for them on Friday morning.

Dear Lord, here we are again, another Friday, another test,

We pray that you help our children do their best today,

Help them remain calm and serene so that they may

Remember all the things they have learned this week,

Help them remember that they will do great as long

As they believe in themselves.

Help them remember that Mommy and Daddy love them,

And remind them that we will always face our troubles

Together and that their efforts will be blessed by you

And celebrated by us.

Remind them to be kind, unselfish and loving to others.

Amen.

GOOD JOB!

We work hard and we play hard!  This is something I've learned from my husband. 

Every Friday evening, we take the kids out for ice cream (you may want to do something special, something your children would consider a treat). 

We talked about our week, about their work well done and we congratulate them for their effort.  

Even as an adult we often like to be "rewarded" or "acknowledged" for the hard work we do at our jobs.  Therefore, why not do the same with our kids.