0 Parenting Toddlers- The 8 tips I use to keep me sane when dealing with temper tanrums!

Two years old...Oh this is the age when toddlers lose their mind. I'm sure every mother of a toddler can relate to the crying are you really going to cry because you can't pour juice all over the table!? and temper tantrums. I am now the mother of a two year old and I am barely making it day by day but, each day I learn how to better handle the all the crying, whining, and temper tantrums! Would I call this parenting advice? Not hardly! This is my survival guide that I'm sharing with you, feel free to add any tips in the comment section; we are in this together!

How I'm surviving, the terrible two's....

1. I spend time ALONE to THINK and RECOVER. Every night or morning I spend time alone to think and get my mind together. I simply think about the day and figure out how things can be better tomorrow. This is a must. 
2. Go outside. I could spend days indoors and never step foot outside when I am really busy but, toddlers...oh they need outside. My daughter is so much more pleasant to be around when she has had time to run around in the fresh air and sunshine When it's cold, we go on car rides. Just let the child out...
3. Get off the computer. Even when I have work to do on the computer, some days I have to just wait until naptime or bedtime. There is really no way to get around this at times, two year olds hate to not be the center of attention. They need to feel included. If you MUST work, get them a desk (big chair and tray table) and let them "work" alongside you.
4. Call them back. I find that my daughter acts her absolute worse when I'm trying to hold an important conversation on the phone about how to fry chicken or how I'm going to fix my hair...What!? That's what friends are for... I have learned to save long phone conversations until night or naptime. Unless, you want your toddler to yell and scream while you're on the phone. I don't.
5. Remain calm. We all can get a little unhinged after dealing with 456 temper meltdowns, when you reach number 457, remain calm. I find that when I'm calm, my daughter is calm. Yeah, she may still be upset but, it cuts the temper tantrums in half.  I have learned how to be calm yet, stern. "We aren't going to eat pie right now but, we can color. Okay? Let's go color a pretty picture for daddy!"
6. Hide it or throw it away. At the end of the day when I'm thinking about all the things I could improve on, I try to figure out what caused some of the meltdowns (not mine, the toddler's). If the tantrum was because she couldn't play with my phone, I try to remember to keep it out of her sight when I'm not using it. I used to be all, well she has to learn no is no and whatever...haha! Now, I just move whatever it is and move on to something else. Thankfully, toddlers have the memory of a goldfish and are easily distracted. 
7. Ask questions. When my loving sweet daughter gets to whining and crying, I use a trick I learned from a friend; just ask what's wrong. "Did you hurt yourself?" "What's wrong?" "Are you hungry?" "Why are you crying?" "Want a hug?" "Do you need a nap?" (sometimes she will say yes to this!) Asking questions makes them stop crying and think, toddlers can't cry and think. 
8. Pick your battles, wisely. Is it really going to hurt her to wear her purple shoes with her black dress? Not really, so just say okay and move on. Some things are just not worth the fight. Thanks to my husband, I have been left feeling stupid plenty of times when he has asked "Well, why can't she have it?" and all I have is "Because I said so!!". Really? Really?! Just give the child another grape or cookie and move on with life. 3 cookies instead of 2 is going to hurt who? No one.
9. What are you tips? What have you learned?

I by no means, advocate giving a child everything they want but, I have learned that some things are just not that serious. 

Hope this helps you!!

Also, check out The Peaceful Solution Character Education Program they have a Parenting Manual that I use and love! Helps keep me sane!




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0 GIVEAWAY!!! DIYHaircareproducts Hair Product Sample Gift Basket!

*GIVEAWAY*

DIYHaircareProducts is  giving away a SAMPLE GIFT BASKET which includes:

• 4oz Whipped Shea Butter Body & Hair Butter
• 1 oz. Dried Hibiscus 
• 1 oz. Dried Chamomile
• 1 oz. Dried Horsetail
• 1 oz. Powdered Fenugreek
• 4 oz. Unrefined Shea Butter
• 3 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
• 3 oz. Avocado Oil
• 2 oz. Coconut Oil
• 3 oz. Bottle Hair and Body Lotion
• 3 oz. Bottle Rinse Out Moisturizing Conditioner

Everything is ALL Natural!!! (unless fragrance is specified) 

There are enough ingredients in this basket to make your own body butter, hair oil, body oil and body butter!!

Yes, I'm going to be giving away this whole list of amazing products to 1 awesome winner!! 

How do you qualify? Simple. 

Mandatory Entry:

You must add DIYHaircareProducts to your list of Favorite Etsy shops. (just log into Etsy, type in "DIYHaircareProducts" or click our store link and add our shop to your Favorites.)

Come back to this post and leave a comment letting me know you added my shop to your Favorites! 

*Leave Your Etsy Username in the comments*

Additional Entries:

Follow WAHMTown on Twitter

Follow this blog ------> "Google Friend Connect"

*PLEASE READ* Since this GIVEAWAY is so awesome, I won't be giving away the basket, UNLESS I get 100 unique entries! So what does that mean for you? If you blog, let your followers know! If you have a Twitter, re-tweet this GIVEAWAY! Let everyone you know, know! Spread the word anyway you can! You can do it through YouTube, Facebook, Etsy, or even forums!

This Contest will run from March 8, 2011 to March 22, 2011!! 

So you have 2 weeks to get your entries in and to spread the word! 

Wait, there's more...

Everyone who enters will receive a special discount code to use on any purchase from DIYHaircareProducts!! I will post the discount code on the blog, the last day of the GIVEAWAY!!

So, are you ready? Let's go!!!

*Be sure to leave an email or some form of contact information so that I can contact you and let you know you have won! Winners will have 48 hrs. to respond, after that, I will pick a new winner.

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0 Could finger detangling natural hair help with breakage and splits? Hmmm?

 With all of the "new" knowledge surrounding natural hair, it may be easy to forget the basics. One of those basics is finger detangling. One of the biggest hurdles when having curly hair is how to detangle? I think it may be time for me to revisit finger detangling.

Recently, I have been reading reviews on the Tangle Teezer {pictured right} and while some love it, there are a few who hate it and decided to go back to finger combing or finger detangling. I thought;  finger combing, do people still do that? Then, I thought well if we all finger combed we wouldn't be trying to find a magic brush or comb to get rid of tangles. I know I stopped finger combing long ago when I realized I was getting matted roots and dreadlocks but, I may not have been doing it right so I'm willing to try again. I may be getting splits from my Denman which I love but, I'm willing to try something different.

Another benefit to finger combing is you don't have to worry about combs or brushes ripping your hair out. You can be as gentle as needed with tangles to ensure less breakage and prevent splits. Breakage and split ends are 2 of the biggest complaints when it comes to natural hair. I can't think of how finger combing would cause splits or major breakage. This may also be the answer to single strand knots.

Here is a great video by Curly Chronicles on Finger Detangling <---click link for video :)

So all of this lead me to think maybe some of us are doing too much. I get that we want healthy hair and most of want long healthy hair but, is it really so complicated?

I may try simplifying my regimen some more and getting rid of some methods to see if they help with shedding and breakage. I plan to continue to wash just once a week, co-wash if desired and finger comb to detangle.

Hope this post made sense! I am in the midst of taking twists out...ugh! I am going to be updating you all with pictures and a length check soon.

Thanks for reading!




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0 How To Get Smooth Whipped Shea Butter When Shea Butter is Grainy

A recent problem I have run into when making whipped shea butter is grainy shea butter. Gritty/ grainy shea butter is shea butter that has what feels like, little tiny balls mixed into it. The "grit" melts into the skin within seconds but, can be annoying if you're trying to make a smooth and creamy mixture.

What causes the "grit" in gritty or grainy shea butter?

"During transit, vegetable butters can melt or partially melt. As they re-cool, some butters, most particularly Shea Butter, can crystallize or become grainy. This does not impact the quality or usability of the butters. " [Source]

So, of course if you order your shea butter during warmer months, you run the risk of receiving gritty or grainy shea butter. Here are the steps I take to make my shea butter smooth and grit/grain free!

• Measure out shea butter.
• Heat small pan on medium high heat for about 3-4 minutes (until it gets hot).
• Place shea butter in pan and keep on medium high heat for 1 more minute.
• Turn heat down to medium and stir shea butter for 1 more minute.
• Turn heat off and allow shea butter to melt to about 50-70%.
• Remove pot from stove and mix the shea butter, the heat from the melted shea butter will melt the rest of the shea butter.
• You can add your extra oils now or wait until you whip the shea butter.
• Allow shea butter to cool to room temperature. *If you place warm/hot shea butter in the refrigerator you run the risk of introducing water from the condensation to the shea mixture and this may cause mold in your final product if you are not using a preservative.
• Once the shea butter mixture has cooled to room temperature, place in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. You can take it out after about 5-10 minutes and blend it with a hand mixer but, I find this doesn't help speed up the process.
• Allow shea butter to get completely hard. (like it was when you received it)
• Break shea butter into chunks and whip it with your hand mixer for 3-5 minutes depending on how whipped you want your mixture!

Additional info: If you whip the shea butter before it has the opportunity to fully harden, your whipped mixture may become hard. If this occurs, just re-whip the shea mixture to the consistency you desire.

Make sure that you are simply heating up the shea butter, to allow it to melt. Do not cook or boil the shea butter. Keep the temperature between 130-175 degrees!

Enjoy your new whipped butter!!

Picture source: DIY Haircare Products

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0 Natural Hair Care Myths, Do your research!

This post is prompted from a post on: To Be a Naturalista about being a Responsible Vlogger/Blogger it should be no surprise to many of you (if you read my blog) that I agree with her post completely!

Here is a excerpt: "So many naturals make a point to rant against enemies of natural hair including sulfates, mineral oil, petroleum and boar bristle brushes. But I am willing to bet less than one percent of those who do actually sat down and took the time to invest in serious scientific research as to why these things are harmful to our hair. I can bet on it because I know if they had done the research they’d be singing a different tune. And no, watching youtube videos does not count as serious scientific research…"

I think many people don't realize the importance of study and making factual AND honest statements. I have never considered myself a guru or haircare "know it all" as I have a lot to learn but, when it comes to blogging and listening to others I do notice a lot of "know it all" mentalities among people who haven't studied anything. There are many myths about haircare, many many many many myths. These myths exist because someone took the advice of someone else and didn't research it for themselves.

Let's discuss 3 myths involving natural hair for example:

• "Black hair" tends to be dry and brittle.

Dry and brittle hair isn't a characteristic of healthy hair. If you take care of your hair and learn what works and what doesn't, no matter your "race", your hair will be moisturized and strong. Any person of any background can have healthy hair. Unhealthy hair, period, is dry and brittle, the color of someone's skin is not a determining factor in that.

• Mineral Oil and Petroleum make your hair dry.

While it is true, these products if not used correctly can result in dry hair, they don't MAKE hair dry. Hair becomes dry when it loses moisture. Some people have used vaseline in their hair with great success. Being that these ingredients fall in the sealant category, they can't be used as moisturizers. If you don't use an adequate moisturizer underneath a product that contains these ingredients as the main ingredients (top 5), you haven't put moisture into your hair shaft, thus resulting in dry hair. Moisturize and then seal. 

• Brushes will break your hair off!

The proper statement to make would be, brushes can break your hair off.  Again, if you don't use any tool correctly it can cause damage to your hair strands, this includes brushes, combs, rollers, blow dryers, flat irons, etc. For some, the trick is to only brush hair that has product in it (such as a leave-in conditioner) and to use a soft bristle brush (some use baby brushes).

And there are many more myths that I could list but I won't because we would be here all day...

Your hair is as difficult or as simple as you make it. All of us want healthy hair, they route we take to get it can be long and hard or it can be simple and short, it's up to us.

I'm going to be participating in a challenge being hosted by Naturally Imperfect titled: State Your Reference in support of spreading factual information about haircare.

Anytime, you state something as "fact" your will have to state where you got that information from. Easy enough, right? Will you join us? Join in the comments, or on Twitter (WAHMTown) or on Naturally Imperfect!

No matter what we speak about we should always strive to give reliable and honest information. This is a great practice that can and will build a positive character in us.

Also check out: http://www.naturalhairunity.com/ for discounts, giveaways and other cool prizes! I will be hosting giveaway soon with more info!


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0 Bubble Bath as a Shampoo??

As you know I'm in a protective style (kinky twists). After about 2 weeks of having this protective style I needed to shampoo the hair in the front of my head !! When I go too long without washing my scalp it gets crazy itchy and flaky. The front of my head looked like I had some kind of illness. o_O Yes. I had to tell you all that to let you know how DESPERATE I was for some shampoo!

 I was out of my liquid black soap for shampooing and I kept procrastinating on making some more. I couldn't find my other shampoo, so I looked at my daughters bath bubbles. She only even has this because my husband couldn't find any other bubble bath for her in Wal-Mart. *note to self don't send husband looking for bubble bath*

Yes, this is what I used on my hair.

Anyway.....

To shampoo, I took out about 8-10 twists in the front and washed just that area with the bubble bath. It was weird seeing all the suds in my hair, been a long time since I have used sulfates. I was so scared that my hair was going to be hard as a brillo pad...

But, it wasn't! My scalp was so clean and my hair felt wonderful! I didn't use a rinse out conditioner, just the shampoo and my hair felt nice and soft. The build up was gone off of my twist too (you know the part where the knot is that collects lint, flakes, and whoknowswhat).

I promise I'm not crazy ya'll...I promise.

I have used it 2 more times on my whole head since and I get the same beautiful results. My scalp feels and looks so clean! Which leads me to wonder if the black soap is really getting all of the oils off of my scalp.

The black soap contains shea butter, and I think my scalp likes the bubble bath because it doesn't moisturize my scalp. It cleans it and lets it breathe.

Sooooooo.....

I think I will be using the *cough* bubble bath on my scalp and the black soap on my hair when I take these twists out.

I don't expect everyone to go out and buy Johnson's Bubble Bath for your hair but, if you're experiencing an itchy scalp it may help you like it did me. I am realizing that my scalp doesn't like any build up and likes to be 100% clean.



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0 Sharon Stone Hairstyle