Chocolate Hair / Vanilla Care

Removing Threaded Bantu Knots and Bantu Knot-Out #Video #NaturalHair

2013-05-17T17:24:00.000-07:00

After almost three weeks of wearing her awesome mini threaded Bantu knots, we finally had to take them out. Not because they weren't looking fabulous (they were!), but because we had our Mother's Day fauxhawks that we wanted to get photographed in time for our "Mama and Me" feature. So we said goodbye to the threaded knots, but not without documenting how we removed them.
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Letters to the Dead: Goodbye Rainbow

2013-05-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

Funny, when Boo first pitched me the idea of this whole "Dead Letters" thing earlier this year, I never expected it to take off as much as it has. Yet, here we are in May and it looks like even Boo's kindergarten class has joined in! Each child had a chance to write a goodbye letter to Rainbow, the class's butterfly, who tragically passed after a very short life.
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Share the Hair "Mama and Me" Mother's Day Edition 2013 #MothersDay #NaturalHair

2013-05-11T11:14:00.001-07:00

Welcome to our third annual Mother's Day "Share the Hair" edition! Featured below are more than 20 moms and their children sharing similar hairstyles and/or accessories. Our "Mama and Me" feature is intended to celebrate our family relationships, especially as we bond over hair. Many thanks to all of the families who participated this year, and may the mothers, caregivers, and moms-in-waiting have a fabulous Mother's Day!
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Mother's Day Teacup Treats and Reflecting on School Moms

2013-05-10T06:52:00.001-07:00

One of the biggest fears I had when Boo started kindergarten this year actually had nothing to do with her. It had to do with me, and the fact that I'm an introvert. The whole idea of having to chat with other moms, whom I didn't know, didn't sit well with me. I'm not a fan of small talk. I prefer silence over making something up just to have something to say. Very often that is perceived by others as my being aloof and/or snobby. So with the beginning of the school, each day of drop-off and pick-up I faced the possibility that my "not-being-chatty" was likely going to offend someone.
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Summer Natural Hair and Skin Care for Children

2013-05-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

I know there are still some areas that are seeing snow, but we hit temperatures in the 90s this last week and are moving well into our extended summer months here in Southern California. We've also been getting a lot of questions on our Facebook page regarding haircare for swimming, what to do about sand, and which sunscreens are best, so now is as good a time as any to round up our summer-related skincare and haircare posts that answer these questions, and more!
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Boo's Views: On "Princess Truly and the Hungry Bunny Problem" #BookReview #Video

2013-05-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to share with our readers another great book that promotes a positive self-image when it comes to natural hair. Although we love all of the books on our natural hair reading list, some are rather old and include artwork that is a bit outdated. However, Princess Truly and the Hungry Bunny Problem is a breath of fresh air as it's both modern in its theme as well as beautifuly illustrated. Boo loved it so much that she volunteered to do a video review just for you!
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Threaded Mini Bantu Knots: Completed Hairstyle Pics & Instructions

2013-04-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

We finished these threaded mini Bantu knots the day after our video how-to post and we're just thrilled with them! They were really easy to do, and the parting was super simple, having used the the organic parts that don't require precise boxes. Below we show how we split this style up into two days, and all of the final style photos.
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Threaded Mini Bantu Knots How-To Video #NaturalHair

2013-04-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

We're in the middle of doing this awesome protective hairstyle for Boo, which we're hoping will last a few weeks, especially since the weather has turned very warm these last couple of days. These mini Bantu knots are just adorable and are so easy to do! Our video outlines the more traditional method of achieving Bantu knots using thread to both form and secure the coils.
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Natural Sunscreens: SPFs of Oils and Butters for Hair and Part Lines

2013-04-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

I receive many questions about what can be done to prevent sunburns on the scalp. Although I've outlined our tips on this subject before (in addition to addressing physical versus chemical sunscreens for the skin), I'd like to highlight that there are natural sunscreens in many of the hair and skin products that we already use. The key is understanding what the SPF values, working in conjunction with other options (as necessary) to ensure maximum safety. I'm still a fan of using a physical sunscreen on my daughter's skin, but when it comes to her head I'm a little more lenient with her part lines and hair (yes, hair can get sun damaged, too), knowing that she's got a few of the items listed below already on her head.
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Submit Your Pics: Mother's Day 2013 "Mama and Me" Share the Hair Edition

2013-04-13T10:00:00.001-07:00

This will be our third annual Share the Hair: "Mama and Me" Edition on our blog and I am so looking forward to seeing what people come up with this year! If you are unfamiliar with this fun family tradition, feel free to browse through the awesome photos that were submitted for our Mama and Me 2011 and Mama and Me 2012 editions.

We've got a month between this post and Mother's Day (which is Sunday, 12 May 2013), so it's time to start thinking about what hairstyle we can do to share with our child(ren). Boo and I already have a hairstyle picked out: We'll be "rockin'" something super fierce this year!
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Letters to the Dead and the Dead Letter Box

2013-04-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

Back in February I posted on Facebook that Boo (at the ripe old age of 5 years old) asked me for the strangest craft ever. As she put it, "Mama, I want to make a 'dead letters box.' That way I can write letters to people who died--Like President Lincoln, and Martin King Jr., so I can tell them 'thank you'--and then God will know that the letters in that box are for dead people and He will take them from the box and deliver them to all the people in Heaven. Can you help me make a 'dead letter box?'"
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"Kids In The House" Finally Launches: See Our Videos and So Much More!

2013-04-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it's been an entire year since I filmed my segments for a special project that was originally scheduled to launch in June of last year. Well, it's finally happened! The site is live and I'm happy to say it's both functional and really well-designed!
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Waves of Scalloped Cornrows (Easter Hairstyle 2013)

2013-03-30T08:24:00.002-07:00

After our St. Patrick's Day hairstyle we've moved easily into this fun yet protective hairstyle for Easter. (Note: If you're looking for hairstyle inspiration, we have several "fancy" hairstyles in our style gallery for inspiration.) We plan on wearing this one for a while, so the goal was both style and longevity. Although it looks fussy and time-consuming we took our time setting it, styling over several days. Totally worth it, especially because the cornrows that were completed at the beginning of the week looked just as good as those completed toward the end.
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Hello Kitty and Humpty Dumpty Easter Eggs

2013-03-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

Boo has decided this year that colouring Easter eggs in the traditional fashion of using dyes was both stupid and made a "big mess." She thought it was stupid because the eggs never really looked like anything but coloured blobs. So when I asked her about colouring eggs this year, she rolled her eyes and told me that I could do it by myself, if I really wanted to. Of course, the moment that I showed her the first Hello Kitty egg, she was suddenly very interested in decorating them!

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MossyRockDesigns G!veaway W!inners Announced

2013-03-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing time running this giveaway and are so excited to announce the five winners who are going to be receiving some beautiful items from MossyRockDesigns. The randomly selected winners are listed below:
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Our Commissioned Painting by MossyRockDesigns and G!veaway

2013-03-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

We commissioned this lovely watercolour painting from MossyRockDesigns by Katie Bradley and couldn't be more pleased with the results. The detail of Boo's face is highlighted in the photo above, while the full painting is shown below:
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Our Tips for Selecting a Natural Hair Moisturizer

2013-03-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

(photo by Stephane)

One of the hardest things to do is find a good moisturizer for your child's hair. It would be so easy if we could just know what products will work on what types of hair. However, if products were "one size fits all" there wouldn't be nearly as many on the market (with more being added regularly). And when looking at ingredients, many of them have pretty much the same thing. So how do you tell which one will work best for you child, especially when looking for a moisturizer? You may not be able to tell by reading labels, but there are some key pieces of information that will at least help narrow your choices and get you well on your way to being able to test them in action.
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St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Hairstyle #NaturalHair

2013-03-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

We haven't done a St. Paddy's Day hairstyle for a few years and Boo really wanted a shamrock in her hair, so far be it from me to turn her down! This hairstyle was pretty easy to do (if you already know how to cornrow and do rope twists). She wore it this past week at school and will likely keep it in until we restyle for Easter in a week or so.
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7 Tips for Testing Natural Hair Products

2013-03-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

People can drive themselves batty when searching for the "right" hair products for their children. They've asked everyone they know, they've tried a ton of things, some sorta work, some didn't work at all, and in the end they're left with a cupboard full of stuff that they don't remember anything about other than the grief they've caused (and the money they cost)! Believe it or not, it doesn't have to be that way; it is possible to prevent getting sucked into the product junkie vortex. Below we've outlined a few of our general tips for testing out hair products in our household.
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Exploring the Last Night of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in "The Mountaintop"

2013-03-12T09:46:00.001-07:00

(Larry Bates and Danielle Moné Truitt in "The Mountaintop")

This last Saturday we had the chance to see the West Coast Premiere of The Mountaintop by Katori Hall. I remember reading about this show when it premiered in London in 2009 (winning the Olivier Award for Best New Play in 2010). I also remember it opening on Broadway in 2011 (starring Samuel Jackson and Angela Bassett) to mixed reviews, many questioning whether or not a young playwright in her 20s was deserving of the British award. Approaching the production with an open mind, I was pleased to see that this one-act play was about much, much more than just a look at the last evening in the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And that right there is one of the main reasons why I enjoyed it so very much.
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Easy Single Spiral Flat Rope Twist #NaturalHair #Hairstyle

2013-03-09T07:53:00.001-08:00

This hairstyle will be the last in our series of simple, school-friendly flat twist hairstyles as we're going to be doing something fun for St. Patrick's Day next weekend. Once again we got a full week out of this hairstyle. It took roughly 20 minutes to do, it is loose, it doesn't pull on her edges, and it is a fully protective hairstyle. All-round (pun intended) it's a great choice for something quick and easy!
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Hair Breakage versus Shedding: How to Tell the Difference

2013-03-06T06:30:00.000-08:00

(photo by Tan Yee Wei)

This is one of the most frequently asked questions by new parents when it comes to haircare: "How can I tell if that hair coming out is breakage or if it's hair that has been shed naturally?" Unlike many questions when it comes to natural haircare, this one has a pretty easy answer. In fact, it's very easy to tell the difference between broken hair and shed hair.
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Loose Flat Twists with Pinned Bun #NaturalHair #Hairstyle

2013-03-02T18:42:00.001-08:00

After the huge success of our "Large Loose Flat Twist Up-Do" from last week, we decided to continue on the them of protective hairstyles that are quick and relatively easy to do. This hairstyle required five twists (same as last week's style), but all five of these are flat twists. You can just as easily do cornrows instead, depending on which one's you prefer and which lasts longer for your child.
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Diva Wrap by SilkyWraps #ProductReview #NaturalHair

2013-02-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

I have personally been interested in testing out this Diva Wrap since we first got our Girls Bonnet from SilkyWraps well over a year ago. I love the idea that the fabric along the hairline is smooth and was wondering how this particular item would compare to the bonnet, with which we are now all too familiar. Having used it on our two most recent hairstyles, we've been more than pleased with the results, as outlined below.
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Simple Large Loose Flat Twist Up-Do #Hairstyle #NaturalHair

2013-02-23T09:48:00.000-08:00

Looking for something easy, but still protective and doesn't pull the hair too tightly? Look no further. This is a beautiful hairstyle that took all of 15 minutes to do and lasted the entire week of school. Better yet, it will make a great fancy look, as well as look good on older girls and/or adults.
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