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5 Mistakes You’ve Got to Stop Making With Curly Hair

August 1, 2017 By Diedre Leave a Comment

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links*

Before I had naturally curly hair, I felt like I was navigating in the dark with my daughter’s curls. When I look back at pictures, I realized that I made several mistakes. I looked for resouces online, and I couldn’t find exactly what I needed.

When I decided to stop getting relaxers, finding the right products was really a journey of trial and error. I watched more YouTube videos than I should have, and the mistakes continued. When I finally found what worked for me, I decided to help others so they didn’t have to have bad hair days while figuring out what to do.

If you want beautiful curls, then stop making the same mistakes I did!

Brushing

Unless you are laying down edges for a particular style, using a brush is a big no no. Brushing eliminates definition and contributes to frizz. A wide tooth comb will detangle and work its way through curls without causing major damage.

If you have straight hair and are raising a curly haired child, I know it’s a hard habit to break. But trust me, you won’t be doing the curls any favors.

Combing While Dry

Curls need moisture to survive. Combing hair while dry can lead to breakage and pain! Does your child cringe when you are doing their hair? Do they hate getting it done?

This may be why. Keep a spray bottle on hand.

Seeing a Beautician Who Can’t Fix Curly Hair

If you want to cut your curly locs, I don’t recommend visiting a new beautician for the cut.

Curly hair shrinks, and a beautician who is inexperienced with curly hair may leave your hair shorter than you imagined.

I recommend allowing them to do a simple style on a few occasions before entrusting them with color or cuts.

If they seem to be confused about what to do with your hair, or need some assistance from a neighboring stylist, that is probably not the person you want making drastic changes to your hair.

Overprocessing

Most people turn to straightening when they have trouble taming curly hair. The problem with this is that if the person who is straightening your hair doesn’t know what they are doing, they can cause some serious damage.

If you are going to color treat or add heat to curly hair, it may be helpful to consult a beautician who has experience with curly (ethnic) hair.

Neglecting a Nightly Routine

Curly hair does not need to be washed every night. The longer it gets, the more time consuming that can be, and frankly it truly isn’t necessary. However, curly hair needs to be protected at night.

If you decide to wash late at night and don’t want to dry, be sure to twist or braid to keep the strands from breaking while you toss and turn throughout the night.

Curls can also be protected by wearing a satin scarf and/or sleeping on a satin pillowcase.

After reading this, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed. You have made several mistakes with your curls.

I’m not going to lie to you, all the steps and “rules” to follow can be a little daunting. Once you find a routine that works for you, follow it and you can vary little things.

Most importantly, don’t forget to love your curls.

They make you who you are.

Embrace them in all their glory.

Why All Educators Deserve to Have the Summer Off

May 16, 2017 By Diedre 14 Comments

Being an educator is hard work. Work doesn’t always magically end when the school day ends.

Often, “other duties & responsibilities as assigned” come in the form of meetings, late nights & impromptu conferences with parents defending our character.

I can’t tell you how many times people have commented (my husband included) that I am lucky to have the summer off. Trust me, educating the next generation and keeping up with them has nothing to do with luck.

Despite what the naysayers say, here’s why I think all educators deserve to have the summer off:

Educators Wear Many Hats

No matter our role, at one point or another we have been a child’s nurse, mother, counselor, and teacher. I’ve even joked with some of my frequent flyers that I need to claim them on my taxes (#sorry #notsorry)

We stand in the gap for those kids who don’t have support at home, whether it’s emotionally, financially or in any other capacity.

“Overtime” Means Nothing

Open House, math night, rising so and so night, PTA night……..

None of those nights come with extra pay. We work, we smile, we answer questions, then get up the next morning and do it all over again.

When I was 9 months pregnant, I worked an event for 3 hours after school.

Parents Can be Demanding

Parents get angry and pop up at the school. They demand meetings and threaten not to leave until they meet with someone.

They email incessantly and get upset if you don’t answer within the hour. They get mad if you call and tell them about what their kid did in school. They get mad if you don’t call and tell them what their kid did in school.

In a nutshell, some parents can be very difficult to please.

State Testing

You know how much your kids hate state testing? Well, educators do too. Can you believe we can’t even sit and read anymore??

The kids get antsy and uptight, and we have nothing to keep ourselves entertained while we pace the room. I’ve made many grocery lists during state testing. I think I wrote this post too.

Sickness

Do you have any idea how many germs are running rampant in a school at any given time??

Whenever a kid is sent home with lice, everyone starts scratching.

My daughter has missed numerous days this year because she always seems to catch something. And then she is so kind to pass it on to me. Being around kids 24/7 is a breeding ground for passing germs.

Free Time

Do you know how much time we sacrifice with our own children to be present for someone else’s?

As a school counselor, I like to have quiet time–when I’m not giving anyone advice and I’m enjoying the peaceful silence.

Raising three childrendoesn’t lend itself to many silent days as you can imagine.

I have often told my five-year-old to hush on the way home because I needed quiet time instead of talking with her (insert mom guilt here)

I long for the extra time with my family in the summer…..when I can pretend to be a stay at home mom for six weeks.

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Quick & Easy 15 Minute Coconut Curry Recipe

April 19, 2017 By Diedre 2 Comments

This post is sponsored by Saffron Road. As always all opinions are my own.

As a busy working mom, sometimes it’s tough to figure out what to cook during the week. I have my dinner staples, but sometimes I get tired of eating my own food. Tiredness sometimes interferes with creativeness. Do you ever feel that way??

We eat a lot of chicken in my house, but sometimes I get bored with using the same ingredients over and over. That’s why I was so excited to try coconut curry!

Growing up in a Jamaican household has given me a love affair with curry. I’ve been a little biased to Jamaican curry, but recently I gave Saffron Road Coconut Curry a try and it did not disappoint!

What I loved about the Saffron Road simmer sauce is that it is a one stop shop. If you are not a good cook, add a pinch of salt & pepper on your meat, then let the simmer sauce do all the work for you!

Your family & friends will never know the difference. Our family is big on leftovers and it tasted just as good the next day as it did the day I cooked it!

If your family has food allergies, have no fear! The coconut curry sauce is gluten free & vegetarian. You could substitute the meat for veggies & it would be just as good!

Yum

Quick & Easy 15 Minute Coconut Curry

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Quick & Easy 15 Minute Coconut Curry

Ingredients

1 lb of chicken breast
cumin
kosher salt
black pepper
paprika
olive oil
Saffron Road Coconut Curry Simmer Sauce

Instructions

Chop/cut chicken breast into squares.
Sprinkle cumin, kosher salt, black pepper & cumin on chicken-enough to completely cover it with seasonings.
Coat the pan with olive oil & brown the chicken.
Brown the chicken & pour the entire packet of Saffron Road Coconut Curry Simmer Sauce on the chicken.
Serve with rice, vegetables and naan bread (optional).

Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by Yummly Rich Recipes

https://arethoseyourkids.com/quick-easy-15-minute-coconut-curry/

If coconut curry is not your cup of tea, Saffron Road makes a variety of different simmer sauces that you can try. I found them at my local Whole Foods, but they are sold at a variety of retail locations. I can’t wait to try them all!

Have you been dying to add some Asian Fusion into your meals?? Look no further–your family will rave over dinner!

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Beyond the Diaper Bag: Essentials for Outings with your Toddler

February 17, 2017 By Diedre Leave a Comment

*I received these products in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*

When you have a baby, you pack everything but the kitchen sink in the diaper bag. You never know when you might need a burp cloth, pacifier, or some other cry shushing tool.

As your baby moves out of the infant stage, carrying a bag is still a necessity, but what your list of essentials changes. Here’s a cheat sheet for your toddler’s diaper bag:

…

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Bring a Multicultural Festival to Your School: A Step by Step Guide

January 21, 2017 By Diedre 3 Comments

*I received these products free through a partnership with Oriental Trading Company. Even though the product I received was free, all opinions are solely mine.*

Planning a multicultural festival is a great way highlight the cultural diversity of your community through music, dance, art, storytelling and more. Want to plan one at your school? Read below to find out how!

Form a Multicultural Festival Committee

The committee should be comprised of teachers, school counselors, an administrator, and parents.

Assign Duties to Committee Members

Committees work best when people are assigned duties in their area of expertise. If there is an artist in the group, assign that person duties like making flyers and signs. The administrator can be responsible for making the call home alerting parents of the festival.

Involve Community Stakeholders

If your school is low on funds, then this is a must! You would be surprised at what community members are willing to donate. Many are willing to donate supplies, money, and even their time!

Draft a letter on school letterhead describing the event (location, purpose, time & date). Bring the letter to various community vendors & businesses at least two months in advance. Click here for a sample donation letter.

Before you visit the business with your letter, call in advance to find out the name of the manager and what days and times they will be available.

Calling ahead of time ensures that you will be able to talk to someone when you bring the letter.

Publicize, Publicize, Publicize

Publicizing your event is a great opportunity to get the students involved. If you have a Student Council at your school, have the Student Council advisor present this festival to them.

Get them involved in making flyers and announcing to the school. The president may be in charge of making the morning announcements. Draft an announcement that can be read daily.

If the school has a website or a social media page (like Facebook, Twitter, Remind 101) put out a social media blast about the festival. Flood your school and community with information.

Pick Countries & Assign One to Each Classroom

The world is a big place! Count the number of classrooms you have in your school, and pick the countries you will assign to each classroom. You may choose to combine smaller classes together.

Each classroom will be responsible for making a class flag and cultural dress. Students will enjoy being creative and making their own attire. Teachers can be as elaborate or simple as they choose based on their comfort level. Oriental Trading Company has several materials that are perfect for multicultural activities!

This will make your social studies teachers very happy because it will align with their standards. ELA teachers could even assign a writing assignment about the country that could align with their standards.

Assign Duties to Classroom Teachers

Announcing your event and assigning duties should be presented in a faculty meeting, followed up by an email.

Have a spokesperson (counselor or administrator) explain the details of the Multicultural Festival to teachers during a faculty meeting. This allows for questions and suggestions.

Explain to everyone the purpose of the festival and at that time, assign countries to each classroom. Have each classroom responsible for researching their country’s flag, music, traditional dress & cultural norms.

Plan a Multicultural March & Feast

On the day of the festival, plan for a march around the school.

The multicultural march will allow each class to see what the rest of the school has been working on. Have someone in charge of playing It’s a Small World on the loudspeaker or PA system as the students march around the school.

Assign someone the duty of taking pictures of each country on display. After the march, have students and teachers return to their classrooms to enjoy a feast of multicultural foods.

Want to propose a Multicultural Festival at your school? Print this pdf and give to your administrator or counselor to get the ball rolling.

Looking for a deal at Oriental Trading? Visit their coupon page for the latest in sales.

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How to Plan the Perfect Toddler Birthday Party Without Tears

November 27, 2016 By Diedre 8 Comments

*This post is sponsored by Oriental Trading Company. All opinions are my own*

Planning a toddler birthday party should be fun event for parents, not a stressful one. However, when toddlers are involved, unpredictable events can make one nervous. Here are some tips for a stress-free, fun party day.

Keep It Simple

I cannot say this enough. Toddlers get overstimulated easily and they really don’t care whether you spent hours on every detail.

They still might not smile for your picture.

One of my favorite places to purchase party supplies from is Oriental Trading Company.

Their supplies are affordable and often come small packs, perfect for giving as party favors.

Make Party Activities Toddler-Friendly

My girls love playing dress up. Paw Patrol reigns at our house, so we picked up some Paw Patrol costumes .

They wore those things all day (pre and post party!) I think they almost enjoyed them more than the gifts. The adults even joined the fun and wore Paw Patrol masks!

Of all the birthday parties I’ve attended with my children, I’ve noticed that they enjoy the ones that are catered to toddlers (playdough, colored spaghetti noodles, small bouncy house, coloring station, etc).

Maybe it’s the educator in me, but I find that when the activities are age appropriate, it helps the kids have less melt down moments. Toddlers have short attention spans, so short games, music and age-appropriate arts and crafts are usually a hit.

Keep Snacks Kid Friendly

Be careful to steer clear of foods that can pose choking hazards, unless they are cut into small bite size pieces (grapes, hotdogs, etc).

A toddler party is not the time to bring out expensive catered foods. Most toddlers are pretty picky and wasteful. Pinterest has a ton of ideas for healthy snacks that are colorful and attractive. Kids are more likely to try foods when they are appealing to the eye.

However, if you choose to go the catered route for the adults, make sure you have toddler-friendly snacks for the little (picky) ones.

Charge Your Camera (or Phone)

There is NOTHING worse than missing those special moments because your camera or phone is dead.

Be sure charge the device you are using a day in advance to ensure you don’t miss blowing out the candles, family & friends or those messy cake moments.

Or, you can give the task of photography to a party guest so that you can fully enjoy the special moments with your little one.

Keep the Invite List Small

When the guest list is too long, you are busy running around and entertaining, thus not enjoying the party or the time with your little one. Younger toddlers aren’t ready for a lot of socializing, so the size of your guest list doesn’t matter as much, however, that does add to your list of things to do as far as entertaining.

Older toddlers often enjoy the company of their peers.

Plan Around Nap time

I don’t know about you, but my kids get some kind of cranky before a nap, and even after waking up. Who wants to have a party with a cranky toddler?? NOT ME!!

Timing is super important. Try to keep the party two hours or less. Nap time is key! Their little bodies need time to rest and recharge after being partied out.

What tips and tricks have worked for you when planning a toddler birthday party? Leave a comment and share with me!

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