Do you have trouble dressing your toddler in the morning? Do they kick and scream at everything you try to put on them? Do they run away from you when you try to put clothes on them? If so, don't worry mama I have been there!

I quickly figured out that instead of fighting with Kennedy on her wardrobe the best thing I could do was include her in the process. I mean I get it... who wants to be told what to wear everyday and have no choice in the matter. I started allowing her each morning to pick out one element in her outfit for that day and wow what a game changer! She went from yelling "no" to me to jumping up and down excited to get dressed for the day's adventures. And what an easy fix it was to have her help in the process. Not only did it make her feel independent, it gave her a voice and helped her feel involved in the process. I believe giving our children a voice at a young age is so important and allowing them to make decisions for themselves. This process not only helped in our morning routine; it helped out in so many other aspects. It gave her more confidence in her decision making in daily choices, which is super awesome. Yes in the beginning she made some interesting outfit choices but overtime she has actually gotten really good at it; so much so I now ask her for advice when I am getting dressed! Who would have thought I would be asking my three year old for style advice! Go figure! haha 

So if you are having trouble in those morning routines allow them to have a choice and a voice! 

When I had my daughter I knew I was going to have to learn how to care for her hair. As the texture and style was definitely going to be a little different from my own. Fortunately, her hair is very similar to my mother's and after watching my mom do her hair for many years I knew exactly what to do! Kennedy has always had a lot of hair since birth so I quickly started a hair care routine for her and have been doing so for the past two years. So if your child has naturally curly hair and you have no idea how to style it or how to tame it into something manageable then these tips are just what you need! Take notes and trust me by the end you will have your child's hair looking great!


First off all, curly hair is definitely a world of its own and must be cared for differently from straight hair. From washing it, combing it and even cutting it all must be done correctly in order to have nice natural curls. Yes, it does take a little more work but the results are fantastic! Below are some tips to helping manage your child's natural curly hair. 

1.  Never brush your child's hair dry. This will cause the curls to become freezy and non ringlets. The only time you want to brush their hair is when its wet after you have shampoo and conditioned it. I recommend purchasing the Wet Brush which will make it easier to brush thru creating less breakage and no compliments from your child. 
2. Use your hands as a comb. When the hair is dry and gets tangled again do not brush just use your fingers as a comb. The less brushing the better. 
3. Wash hair 1-2 times a week MAX. Hair in general should not be washed everyday it strips the hair of its natural oils and can make it become very dry. So again the less washing the better. 
4. Use a shampoo and conditioner specifically formulated for curly hair. I recommend Ouidad KRLY Kids both the shampoo and conditioner are tear free and leave the hair feeling soft and giving the curls a nice bounce. Also, always shampoo twice to breakdown the first layer of dirt, product etc. 
5. Do a hair conditioning treatment. Once every other week I do a hair treatment, this boosts the hair giving it a nice overall shine and keeps it healthy. The curlier the hair is the longer it takes for the natural oils to travel from the scalp to the ends which can leave the ends feeling dried and frazzled which is why doing a conditioning treatment is so important! 
6. Let hair air dry. I try to use the least amount of heat on the hair as possible. Also, when they are young it is just easier to let it air dry then trying to defuse it with a blow dryer. If you are going to dry it then u need a defuser to put on the end of the blow dryer. 
7. Don't rub down. Once you have washed, brushed and are getting your child out of the tube the worst thing you can do is rub down the hair with a towel. What you want to do is gently blot ringing out the excess moisture. 
8. Use products. Once you have washed the hair and before it has dried the best thing to do is put some product in the hair to tame it and alleviate the freeze. First, use a nice serum on the ends I recommend Morroccan Oil. Then use a styling cream or mouse for curly hair use this from roots to ends. Personally for me it is cheaper to just use my own products on my daughters hair than buying her own so with that said I use Aveda's Phomolliant for the styling mouse. Once hair has dried and I am wanting to either put a bow in it or maybe a top knot I use a little hair spray to pin down the fly aways. Again, I just use my own hair spray which is by Aveda. I love it because it does not get sticky or make the hair crispy; you can even build on top of it. 
9. Have a professional cut the hair. Call around before just going to any hair salon and I recommend going to an adult salon not a child salon. Make sure the stylist knows how to cut curly hair. They should cut the hair dry and into the curls allowing this allows for you to see exactly how the strands will fall.  

So there you have it; how to care for your child's curly hair! Would love to hear how these tips work for you so leave a comment below! 

xoxo,
KTS

I am sure many of you know that it takes a lot of work to get out of the house with a toddler. Getting dressed in the morning can be like World War III and sometimes its a breeze. So many mornings the easiest and fastest hairstyle is to throw Kennedy's hair in a messy bun that look super cute and put together! Here is how to get this look: 

1. Gather items: Hair brush, gel, comb with pick end, hair spray, 1 hair tie

2. Place child on the bathroom counter. (I find if she has something to distract her it makes it easy for hair doing! So while she plays with the water and whatever else she can find on the counter I can do her hair, I will end up cleaning off the mirror later but still totally worth a tame toddler lol )

3.  Brush through hair completely. My favorite brush is the Wet Brush (I even keep a small travel size in my diaper bag)

4. Pull hair up towards the crown of the head gathering all sides as if to make a pony tail

5. Pull hair thru hair tie almost to the end and then wrap it around again creating a knot look with the hair

6. Then carefully pull two sides of the hair that is in the knot loosening it up. Do the same again on the opposite two sides of the knot. Once you have pulled it to the desired messiness spray with hair spray. 

7. Use gel to slick down any fly aways that are unwanted 

8. Rock the do!! Add a bow or headband to give it some flare! 

 

These days rompers are a young girls staple in her wardrobe. So many handmade shops make the most beautiful rompers I have ever laid eyes on! The only problem is our kids are obviously not all the same size so sometimes when ordering an item the garment may not fit quite right. This was the case when i received this mustard yellow romper. I put it on her normal but noticed immediately the straps were too long and they were not staying on which makes for a irritated toddler and a frustrated mama! Because I am an avid reseller of my child's clothes it was important to me that I did not alter the garment and found an easy and quick fix for the garment issue.
So without any needles or thread all I did was unbutton the straps and then just twist them in the back until I reached the desired length in the front. Where it was tight enough to stay on once snapped together. Doing this allowed not only for it too fit correctly but still have the ability to wear later as she grows and no longer need to twist up the straps!