Shoelace Braid

I love showing you guys new braids, especially new braids that are so easy but look complicated. This one is called a shoelace braid because the first step in tying your shoes is exactly what you are doing with the hair. You just do it over and over again until you get down to the bottom of your head.
You can do the shoelace braid a couple of ways. You can stop it after three ties on one side and secure it with a small hair tie and combine it into a pony tail.  I like to do it the way I showed in the video which is on two sides secured with a messy bun.

If you are dealing with thin hair, make your sections for the "ties" a little bigger so that they keep their shape.  If the hair is thicker, do the opposite. Make the sections smaller because you are dealing with a lot more hair.

I can't wait to see this braid on you or your kiddo! It always looks so cute!!!

Carmel Corn

I like sharing recipes with you all.  I look at this like I do with my clients.  We talk about a little of everything.  I love hearing people's favorite recipes and sharing some of my own.
We make this carmel corn all the time, to bring places, snack for movie night, or a big game.  It is so good. A bonus is that it only takes a few ingredients and a few minutes to make.

We make our popcorn in a stir crazy popcorn maker and that requires 2/3 cup kernels.  I am not sure how much popcorn that actually make. However you make your popcorn use that full batch and place it in a paper grocery bag.

Carmel corn recipe

popcorn

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup karo syrup

3/4 stick butter

In a a microwave safe bowl, mix together the brown sugar, karo syrup, and butter.  Microwave for 2 mins, remove, and stir.  Put it back in the microwave for 1 min, remove, and stir again.  And once more, return to the microwave and stir.  Now remove the bowl and add 1/2 tsp baking soda to the carmel mixture. The mixture will start expanding and getting lighter in color.

Put your popcorn in a paper grocery bag and pour the carmel mixture over the popcorn.  Fold up the bag so that it can fit in your microwave.  Microwave it for 1 1/2 mins, remove and give it a good shake, to help distribute the popcorn and the carmel.  Put back in the microwave for 30 seconds, remove, and give it another shake.  Put in the microwave one more time for 30 seconds.  Once that is done pour the popcorn on to a sheet cool.  

Enjoy and Go Green!

Snarls and How to Get Rid of Them!

This post applies to everyone.  If you have hair, you have gotten snarls or still do get them.  We go through a good deal of detangler at our house.  We spray some on Kinsley's hair almost every day. She must fight her pillow when she sleeps because she needs detangler every morning.  I like to spray a tiny bit on my hair before I brush out my wet hair.  It just helps the brush go through hair more smoothly and makes sure that I am not pulling too hard on my hair.

I thought I would share a few of my favorite products!

 I do always recommend a conditioner in the shower but these spray-in detanglers are just added conditioning for your hair.  They are nice to have around, especially when winter comes and you are dealing with static. The extra moisture is helpful.

My favorite leave-in detangler is It's A 10 miracle leave-in product.  Just a few sprays and your wet brush will be gliding through your hair.  It has a pleasant smell and does not leave a build up.  I use this on myself and the girls.  It is light enough for thin hair, but works great on people with tons of hair and lots of texture as well. Remember with all detanglers, that they do not go on the roots, just the ends.  Spraying on the roots can make it look oily for any detangler.  This product can be found on Amazon, Ulta, or ask your stylist if she carries it!

There isn't very many products from Paul Mitchell that I use anymore, but one that has stood that test of time is Paul Mitchell Lite Detangler.  It is truly as lite as they claim.  If your hair is ecspecially thin, this would be a good one to consider. If you have very thick or textured hair, do not use this. It will not help you!

Another one I like to recommend is Not Your Mother's Knotty to Nice conditioning detangler.  This one is made with Brazilan Keratin.  So, not only is it detangling, but keratin is a product that is used to help build up the strength in your hair.  This can be found at Ulta or your local drugstore.

One that I do like for kids is L'Oreal Kids Tangle Tamer. I think this is one of the top selling detanglers.  It is gentle and truly works so great on a kids' snarly mane.  It has a pleasant smell and from what I am able to tell it does not leave any build up on the hair.  The best part is it can be picked up at any store and is never more then $8.

Favorite Tools

I have talked about my favorite hair products before and only touched briefly on my favorite hair tools to use.

Brushes
Wet Brush- Wet brushes are my number one go-to hair brush.  They have one that detangles and is awesome for all types of hair. They also have one that is the Wet Brush Shine which is used for blow drying.  The bristles are different and it works great when you blow dry.

Round Brush
Ceramic round brushes are great for curling your hair or straightening your hair durning blow drying. The ceramic pieces heat up and allows for the hair to get a bend in too. These are great for all lengths and textures of hair.

Boar bristle round brushes are a more natural way to help straighten and add shine to your blow out. These bristles grip the hair a little bit more than synthetic bristles.  I find these best for fine haired individuals.

Picking the correct size of round brush is vital to helping you with your style. The bigger the round brush, the more volume and straighter your hair will be. The smaller the round brush, the less volume you will create, but you will have more curl or bend.
I found this guide to help you in your purchase!

• Short hair (chin length and shorter) – Use a small to medium round brush 1″ (25mm) to 1.4″ (35mm)
• Medium hair (chin length to collar bone) – Use a medium round brush 1.4″ (35mm) to 1.7″ (45mm)
• Long hair ( Collar bone length or longer) – Use a medium to large round brush 1.7″ (45mm) to 2.2″ (55mm)

Blowdryers

If you are in the market for some new tools, I hope this helps.  Or maybe add it your list of items you hope to purchase. I will be listing a few that range in price.  You can really spend up to a couple hundred dollars on a blow dryer.  Now I don't think that is necessary. There are plenty of good blow dryers for a decent price

Conair Ionic Turbo Styler-  A great deal for only  $30. It dries hair quickly and leaves hair looking great after a blow dry.

Conair 1875 Watt Cord-Keeper Compact Styler -  If you are limited on space, this a great option.  It has a retractable cord and can fold up.  For only $24.99 this would be one to keep at your cottage or in your camper!

Chi Rocket Dryer - At $124, this is a big jump in price, but for some a hair dryer is an investment.  Chi is a great name brand.  They make solid products that cut hair drying in half.  If you are looking to spend a bit more on a really nice dryer this would be my number one pick!

Babyliss Pro TT Tourmaline 5000 Dyer - $124 - I have not used this dryer, but from everything I have read is that this dryer is extremely efficient cutting drying time in half.  If you have tons of hair that takes forever to dry, this might be the dyer for you.

Curling Irons/Wands

For wands, my absolute favorite and what you see me using almost all the time, is my Nume classic styling wand. I have the 25mm and I love it.  It heats up and cools down quickly.  It makes curls efficiently and they last all day. Follow Nume on social media, so that you can snatch some of their products when they run one of their amazing sales. 
Nume Wands

Curling Irons - For a long time I have used the Hot Tools curling irons.  Hot Tools makes solid tools. They have a great warranty system and rarely do you need it because these curling irons last forever.  I like to use the 1 inch curling iron.  If you are looking for a versatile tool this would be it. It works for many lengths of hair and textures.  It has heating settings on it so that you can control the temperature. 
Hot tools

Straighteners - I don't use my straighteners all that much anymore, but two I would recommend if you are in the market are Nume Fashionista Hair Straighteners and Chi Hair Straighteners.  Both of these brands have a wide variety of straighteners.  I think you would be pleased with any of them.  Find one that is in your budget!
Nume Straightener and Chi Straightener

I linked as many to Amazon as I could. The rest I either could not find on Amazon.  Most of the other ones are found on other websites or at your local Ulta.  Ulta runs great deals on tools.  Keep an eye out with the holidays fast approaching for all their specials!

All Things Pumpkin

I love all things pumpkin.  I eat pumpkin items all year round, but really amp it up come fall time.   So, I thought I would share with you all of my favorite pumpkin treats.

Pumpkin Spice Nutpods - Nutpods are non-dairy coffee creamer.  They are really good. They allow a little flavor to your coffee, but without all the unnecessary cream and sugar.  I order mine on Amazon. Unfortunately they seem to be sold out everywhere! Amazon doesn't have them right now and even the official Nutpd website is sold out.  Hopefully they will be back soon!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies - This recipe is from my "Fowler Cookbook" and it is one of my favorites.  The cookies are incredible and are always a hit whenever I bring them some place.  I always double the batch because it does not make a ton of cookies.

Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies

1 C. cooked pumpkin

1 C. sugar

1/2 C. vegetable oil

2 C. flour
1 egg

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon 

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. soda dissolved in 1 tsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 C. chocolate chips

Mix all together and bake at 350 degrees for about 12 mins.

Pumpkin Crunch Cake - Pure delicious.  It is like a pumpkin coffee cake, but with the chopped pecans and melted butter on top, it is just so much better!  I have to make this cake when I know people will be around to eat it, or else I end up eating way too much.  Here is the link for my favorite pumpkin crunch cake. Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Pumpkin Muffins - Now these are actually good for you.  Made with whole grains and sweetened with honey, they taste like a treat but are surprisingly healthy.

Carrot-Pumpkin Muffin

1 1/2 C. Whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 egg

1 C. pumpkin

3/4 C. honey

3 TBSP. applesauce

1 C. shredded carrots

Mix all together and put in muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Pumpkin Whip with Ginger Snaps - This recipe takes only a few ingredients and no more than 10 minutes to make.  It is a great dessert to bring to a get-together because it is fairly lite. I am not a huge ginger snap fan, but with the pumpkin whip, you barely notice the ginger snaps.  I guess if you did not like ginger snaps, you could eat it with graham crackers too! Pumpkin Whip

Infinity Braid (Figure Eight Braid)

I could try and write about how to to this braid, but I think that would be far more confusing than watching the video.

A few tips to help. I like to take a top section and split it in two for the start of the braid.  Next, you are really going to make a figure eight or infinity symbol with the hair.  After you do each figure eight, pull the two strands tight to make the eight keep its shape. You are going to feel like you are not doing the braid the first few figure eights, but keep tightening it and continuing the motion and you will see the shape start to take form.  In all honesty, I struggled with this braid, but once I got it down it is such a fun and different looking braid to do.

The video will do a much better job explaining how to do it!

Laced Headband Braid

This style is channeling Angela from "The Office". I feel like she wore a style like this a lot on that show; however, I still love it.  It looks so cute when the hair is left down in the back or if you connect it to a pony tail.

For this style I used just a normal French braid,  except when I do a laced braid I am just adding hair to one side of the braid.  The side closest to the forehead is where I added from, and the other side I just braided like normal.

From a few trial and errors I have found that it works best to start on the side of the head that has the most hair, so that by the time you get to the thinner side, you have a pretty thick braid already.