Braided Braid

I was recently featured on Time out for Women and this was the hairstyle and thoughts I submitted to them.  If you aren’t familiar with TOFW – they are a great resource that gives women a chance to gather together through its various programs and take a “time out” from the stresses and challenges of life.  Whether you go to their classes or read their uplifting things online – they are inspirational and can help you become a better you.

Also – in the wake of last week’s tragic events in Connecticut, as I helped out in Bee’s Kindergarten class today, I couldn’t help but get choked up about the whole thing.  Life is short — too short.  We never know when our time will come.  That’s another reason I spend those few precious moments each morning doing  the girls’ hair … because you never know when it could be your last.  Below is my featured post:

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Everyone knows that school mornings can be crazy trying to get everyone ready and out the door on time, and mine are no different.  And while my girls do sport all kinds of great hairstyles and get their hair done every day (well ok – maybe not Saturday’s!) … the point behind all the hairstyles we create isn’t that I want them to look like a supermodel or that they have the cutest head of hair in their classes at school.

The main reason I take the time to do their hair, is just that — the time.    Most mornings I maybe spend10 minutes or less doing their hair (sometimes a bit longer combing out knots &  the hairstyle from the day before.)  But those 10-15 minutes are precious moments that I cherish.  It’s like the world slows down a little.  I hear about the boy they think currently likes them or the latest trick they can do on the monkey bars.  I hear about the upcoming test they are studying for.  They tell me about the silly dream they had during the night or the favorite part of the book they are reading.  They talk!  And while it may cost me a few less minutes of sleep each day, having them share things during our one-on-one time makes our relationships stronger …. and for me — that is priceless.  Like they say, love is spelled T-I-M-E, and so doing their hair is a win win!

More than 4 years of blogging has amounted to countless hairstyles for babies and toddlers, braids, updo’s and everything in between.  We love showing that there is a lot more you can do with hair than just braids and pony tails.  And speaking of braids, we’d love to share with you a fun and pretty simple style using braids.  This is similar to one of our older posts A Braid into a Braid, but leaves half the hair down in back.

Step 1 – Divide hair into 3 sections

Part the hair from ear to ear to make a half pony.  Then part from the temples back to the first part you made so you have 3 sections of hair parted out.  Temporarily secure each one with a clip or rubber band.

Step 2 – Make a braid

Braid the top middle section of hair.  This can be a regular 3 strand braid or whatever kind you prefer.  Braid all the way down and secure the end with a clear rubber band.

 Step 3 – Add the side sections of hair

Once you’ve secured the braid in the middle, smooth out the side sections of hair & pull them toward the back of the head.

Step 4- Braid around the braid

Using the braid you made in step 2, simply make it the middle strand for a “new” braid using the 2 side sections for the other parts of the braid.  Braid as far down as you can braiding those 2 straight sections of hair around the braid from step two.  So you’re basically making a regular braid with 1 part that is braided, and 2 parts that are straight.

Step 5 – Secure the end with a rubber band

Step 6 – (optional) Curl the rest of the hair

 Finished!

That’s it!  See?  It’s just braiding, but has such a pretty look when it’s all done!  And you don’t have to have waist length hair to try this style!  It’ll work on toddler’s too!  Feel free to check us out on Facebook!  And if you want to see other stuff I like besides hair, you can find us on Pinterest as well!  Thanks again to TOFW for featuring us on their site.  And God bless all those families that are mourning the loss of their loved ones after last week’s tragic events.   We are praying for you.