Logo Loops Headbands for School and Taekwondo

Thank you to Logo Loops for sending their comfy headbands for our daughter to wear and for providing the prize for our giveaway.  All opinions expressed are our own.

I may have mentioned before that our daughter is quite active.  She likes to run and play basketball during recess, plays hard during gym class, and gives 100% (at least) at Taekwondo.  Keeping her hair neat is difficult some days because it's super-straight (something she inherited from me), which causes it to fall down and gets stringy easily.  Logo Loops wide headbands, an item featured on The View as a back-to-school must-have, turned out to be the answer to our problems.

We have only been able to find one or two styles of headbands that stay put in our daughter's hair, while feeling comfortable the whole day through.  Many are too tight and she ends up taking them off after an hour or two.  Last week, our daughter tested for her orange belt in Taekwondo.  The students work extremely hard during their belt tests to show their instructors and their parents what they can do.

Our daughter wore her TKD Logo Loops headband during her belt test and it kept her hair out of her way and neatly in place.  The headband didn't start to slip at all and remained comfortable throughout the warm-ups, the blocks and kicks, the patterns, sparring, and board-breaking.

I must also mention that it is extremely difficult to find Taekwondo-themed items for girls.  Our daughter received so many compliments on her Logo Loops TKD headband that I actually think it gave her an extra boost of confidence to wear it.  She did amazingly well on her belt test.

Logo Loops TKD headband

Our daughter has also loved wearing her Logo Loops headbands to school.  Here she is in one of the nine Initial Loops headbands available.

Logo Loops Oval Flower Initials headband

There are so many different Logo Loops available, there's something for every girl, from grade school through college.  Which one is your favorite?

Our daughter's favorite design is the Cool Cat headband.  It's probably because she's such an animal-lover.  Don't see exactly what you need?  Submit your own artwork to custom order Logo Loops for your school, club, team, or organization!

Logo Loops Cool Cat headband

To learn more about Logo Loops, visit www.Logo-Loops.com or Logo Loops on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  Logo Loops sell for $13.99 each.  Visit their online store to shop!

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5 Easy Back-to-School #StraightAStyle Hairstyles for Girls

Thank you to Goody Hair for sending us their line of back-to-school hair accessories plus a gift card to complete our daughter's back-to-school wardrobe.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Our only daughter will be starting 3rd grade this week!  Where did the time go?  She has changed so much in just a few short years.  She's always loved to feel pretty, but something I've noticed recently is her growing patience to take care of herself.  She's doing a better job washing her hair thoroughly and combs or brushes it without being reminded (most of the time).  She used to ask to have her hair cut short so she wouldn't need to sit through pulling her hair back for school or those dreaded detangling sessions.  This summer, she asked me not to cut her hair before school starts.  She's even brushing her own hair out before letting me know that she's ready to have her hair done. Goody Ouchless brushes make that easy!

If you're like us, sometimes you're in a super-rush in the mornings.  There's not always time to do anything special with our daughter's hair, so I always have a few go-to hairstyles that have proven to be cute, but practical, and more importantly quick to complete.  You can see them below along with one or two others we had experimented with during the summer.

5 Easy Back-to-School Hairstyles for Long Hair . . . 

1.  Headwrap with Skinny Braids - This pretty hairstyle looks great on long, straight hair.  We started off with a crocheted Goody headwrap.  I pulled flower Goody Glam mini elastics through the holes in the crocheted headwrap for some added fun (totally optional).  Then I pulled the hair out of the headwrap at her temples, created one skinny braid on each side, and secured them with Good Girls Ouchless mini elastics.  The last step is to wrap the two braids around towards the back and secure them together with a flower Goody Glam mini elastic.

2.  Long Braid Side Pony - For this easy hairstyle, start by parting the hair on the opposite side from where you plan to tie the ponytail.  Starting as close to the part as possible, create a medium size braid all the way down to at least 3 or 4 inches from the end of the hair and secure it with an Ouchless mini elastic.  Then gather all the hair, including the braid, in a low ponytail on the side opposite of the part and secure with a colorful Goody Girls Ouchless ribbon elastic.

3.  Crown of Mini Bows - If your daughter is tired of simply pulling the top and sides of her hair back with an elastic or hair clip, this is a fun way to change up that look.  All you need to do is to tie 4 to 6 mini bunches of hair back at the top of the head with Goody Girls mini elastics with bows.  These elastics are super-cute with a crystal at the center of each bow!  Be sure to space the bunches of hair evenly around the top of the head above the forehead.  Then pull the top of the hair back, as usual, using a Goody ribbon elastic.

4.  Front to Side Twist - This is one of my favorite hairstyles for my daughter.  It's pretty and can be done in 20 seconds or less.  Start with parting the hair on the side.  Then take a small piece of hair, starting at the part, and twist it twice away from the forehead.  Next, add another small piece of hair and give the hair a couple more twists.  Continue to do this until you reach the temple.  Then twist the hair several times and secure it with a Goody Straight A Style contour snap clip on the side.

5.  Half French Side Braid - I think this hairstyle is my daughter's favorite.  No more plain ponytails on P.E. days!  For this one, you'll need to start with a side part.  Begin braiding hair at the part and add pieces of hair from along the forehead as you braid (just like a French braid, but only adding hair from one side).  Continue this until you've incorporated the hair above the ear.  Then switch to a standard braid and secure with an elastic.  We used the Goody ponytailer elastics with beads for a little extra sparkle, but any color Goody Girls Ouchless elastics that match her outfit would work.

Like these easy back-to-school hairstyles? Pin This for later . . . 

Which easy hairstyle is your favorite?  If you have a favorite easy back-to-school hairstyle, please share it with us below!  Also find more easy hairstyle how-to's by visiting Goody Hair on YouTube.

You can find Goody Straight A Style hair accessories at Meijers and Walgreens for approximately $3.99 to $4.99.  Be sure to pick up these and other Goody Hair accessories to complete your daughter's back-to-school wardrobe!

Share your thoughts about these easy hairstyles for girls with us on Facebook!

Find Poppies, Stripes, Fashion Denim, and More for Fall at Gymboree

Thank you to Gymboree for sending us a gift card to shop for back-to-school fashions and for providing an additional gift card as our contest prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Fall is by far my favorite season.  I love the cool crisp air and it means that the winter holidays will be coming soon.  Even though our children say they love summertime, I think they are excited for fall to come.  They get to see all their friends at school again and they get to start wearing their cuddly knit tops and much-missed jeans.  Although I still shop for my children without their being present frequently, now that they are older, I sometimes let them choose their favorite items (within reason) in a store or online.  When I am short on time, I find that shopping online with my children is much more efficient and that is how all 3 children picked out their new fall outfits from Gymboree.

Somehow our 6 year old son, who happens to be the pickiest dresser, was the easiest to shop for.  It is not so much the style he is particular about than the fabric.  He will not willingly put on a pair of jeans.  One of the first shirts he saw was this Stripe Rugby Shirt from the Camp Yosemite Collection.  He and I both agreed that the rugby stripes and the color combinations were very handsome, but mostly I think he chose this shirt because it looked very soft.

The next logical thing was to see what non-denim pants were available in the Camp Yosemite Collection.  Since all the pieces in each of Gymboree's collections are designed to be color coordinated, this made our search a very short one.  Right away, I found the Jersey Lined Cargo Active Pant and knew they were perfect for my son.  Being jersey lined, these pants were extremely soft inside, plus he just loves to wear cargo pants because of all the extra pockets.

Our son was very pleased with the comfort of his outfit and we both loved the look.  I'm not quite sure the outfit goes with his Star Wars sneakers, but maybe nobody will notice.

Our 6 year daughter was not quite as easy to shop for.  She changed her mind several times.  This is when shopping online comes in handy.  I can put as many things in my virtual shopping bag as I would like.  If we had been shopping in-store, I would have been carrying around 5 or 6 outfits while she was making up her mind.

Ultimately, my daughter decided she very much liked the poppies in the Brightest In Class Collection.  We ended up with the Poppy Stripe Tee and the Flower Cuff Jean.  She was just in love with these button-adorned jeans and would only consider tops that would coordinate well with them.  I suspect that she was so enamored with these jeans because she collects buttons.  I hope she's not thinking of adding these to her collection . . . at least, not until she's outgrown the jeans.

As a benefit of being a girl, our daughter was able to choose some accessories to go with her cute new outfit.  The Poppy Flower Bead Bracelet was a no-brainer.  I thought a floral hair accessory would just be one flower too many, so I chose the Big Curly Pony Holder in Gym Navy Stripe from the Friendship Camp Collection for her.  Did I mention that I love to mix and match items from the various collections?

Choosing a pair of shoes was a tough task.  There were so many pretty boots and ballet flats being offered by Gymboree for fall, but ultimately my daughter chose the Bow Slip-On Sneaker.  She liked them because they looked comfortable and playground-friendly.  I cannot tell you how many pairs of ballet flats she would not wear to school last year because the mulch from the playground kept getting inside her shoes.  She also loves that there are little bows on top of these maryjane-style sneakers and that the lining is covered in hearts.

Our 9 year old son definitely knows what he likes and what he does not like when it comes to fashion.  He really wanted a pair of skinny jeans, but that is not a cut that Gymboree offers for boys.  He was ultimately happy with a Straight Jean in the slim fit.

For a top, our son chose the Hooded Double Sleeve Racer Tee from the Ace Driver Collection.  He loves the layered look and is always drawn to anything with a hood.  He also prefers earthtone colors.  This outfit paired with his skater shoes made him one happy 4th grader.

Just like his younger siblings, our 9 year old son likes clothes that look good, but are also comfortable to wear.  Being able to move freely in his clothing is key for getting through a long school day, but especially recess and gym class.

Here are some great promotions being offered by Gymboree (for a limited time only) . . .

• 30% off all regular priced items
• Additional 20% off already reduced items
• Free Standard Shipping on online orders over $75

To keep up with the latest fashions, sales, and promotions, sign up to be a Rewards Member and follow Gymboree on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random number drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Creating With Colors: My Ribbon Barrette Maker Kit

If you have read my recent review of my daughter's Stun floral dress, then you may have already seen her proudly showing off her pink and purple ribbon barrette that I created for her using the My Ribbon Barrette Maker (from the creators of the My Friendship Bracelet Maker and the new My Friendship Bracelet Maker Traveler).  This well-designed award-winning product is recommended for children ages 6 and older, so I was the one who had the privilege of testing it out, while our 5 year old daughter reaped the benefits.  Although she would have understood the simple steps involved in making a ribbon barrette, it does take more care and patience than a 5 year old would have.  For example, much care must be taken to make sure the ribbon is not twisted and that there are no gaps in the weave.

The My Ribbon Barrette Maker is designed to store all your supplies, as well as be the extra pairs of hands you need to create a beautiful barrette.  To get you started, it comes stocked with 16 ribbons, 128 beads, and 8 barrettes.  The work area doubles as a lid that slides into place to cover your supplies, making this kit very portable for your child's next long car trip or rainy vacation day.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

Making a ribbon barrette is as easy as following these simple steps . . . 

1.  Place an open barrette in the holder.

2.  Select 2 different colors of ribbon and tie it to the top of the barrette, knotting it on the underside, while making sure the length of the ribbons on each side are similar.

3.  Slide the 4 strands of ribbon into the clearly marked slots, the first color into slots 1L and 1R and the second color into slots 2L and 2R.

4.  Feed the ribbon from slot 1L downward through the center of the barrette, pulling it taut and sliding it into slot 3R.  Do the same with the ribbon in slot 1R, then slide it into slot 3L.  Repeat this with the second color of ribbon from slots 2L and 2R, inserting those into slots 4R and 4L.  If you have done this correctly, you should see an alternating pattern of color.

5.  Move the ribbon from slot 3L to 1L, the ribbon from slot 3R to 1R, the ribbon from slot 4L to 2L, and the ribbon from slot 4R to 2R.

6.  Repeat steps 4 and 5 until your barrette is completely covered.  Then double-knot the ribbon to secure the weave in place.

7.  Select which beads you would like to tie onto the ends of the four strands of ribbon.  (Remember that too many beads might make the barrette heavy and cumbersome.)  Then trim the end of each ribbon at a slant to make it easier to feed them through the beads.

8.  When deciding on the length of the ribbons, the longest one should be no longer than the child's hair.  The rest of the ribbon lengths should be staggered.  Once the desired lengths have been determined, simply tie a single knot in the ribbon to keep the beads from sliding off and trim the ribbon about 1/8" from the knots.

I made this barrette to match my daughter's Easter dress.  I look forward to making more where she can choose the colors.  I think these would also be fun for her to give to some of her friends at school just like giving friendship bracelets.

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In keeping with the theme of friendship, the Choose Friendship Company launched an anti-bullying campaign earlier this year with this music video of the song "Inside Out" (sung by Marisa Nahas) promoting friendship and how one person can start a chain reaction to stop bullying.

To learn more about the Choose Friendship Company, visit ChooseFriendship.co.  For more information about the My Friendship Bracelet Maker, the My Friendship Bracelet Maker Traveler, or the My Ribbon Barrette Maker, visit MyFBM.com and Friendship Bracelet Maker on Facebook.

Thank you to the Choose Friendship Company for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing an additional product for our contest prize. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck in the drawing!

Creating With Colors: How to Make Easy Hair Bows with the Mini Bowdabra

I have always spent lots of money buying bows and hair clips for my daughter from online boutiques since she was an infant. I am pretty much just kicking myself that I did not know about the Mini Bowdabra and the Bowdabra Hair Bow Tool sooner. Since my daughter is under 4 years old, I did not do this project with her, but you can certainly make this into a fun activity for you and your grade school-aged child. Since this project has so many possibilities, you do not need to use the same materials I show in my examples below. You can use any type and size of ribbon that will fit in the Mini Bowdabra, as well as tulle, stems of artificial flowers, and more. You can use these basic concepts to create hair clips, headbands, and ponytail holders.

Today's Project: 2-Color Bow Hair Clip

Ask you child to create a bow hair clip that she would love to wear with her favorite outfit.

Supplies Needed:

1) Mini Bowdabra

2) Bowdabra Hair Bow Tool

3) Roll of solid sheer 7/8" wide ribbon

4) Roll of printed 5/8" wide ribbon

5) Bowdabra Bow Wire (in gold or silver)

6) Metal alligator pinch clip (your choice of size)

(Click any image to enlarge)

Step 1. Cut a piece of bow wire approximately 16" long. Fold the wire in half. Then slide the wire into the Mini Bowdabra's slot and then wrap/tuck the ends around and under the Bowdabra.

Step 2. Take the solid sheer ribbon and fold it back and forth in the Mini Bowdabra. The size of the loops and the number of loops is up to you. Use the Bowdabra Wand to scrunch down the sheer ribbon at the center.

Tip #1: For best results, make sure you have the same number of loops on both the left and right sides of your bow.

Step 3. Take the printed ribbon and place it into the Mini Bowdabra print side down. Create loops that are shorter with this ribbon so that you can see the sheer ribbon loops underneath. Twist the printed ribbon in the center (as shown above) for each loop you make. This ensures that the bow is more 3-dimensional and that the print is always on the outside (if your ribbon is only printed on one side). Use the Bowdabra Wand to scrunch down the printed ribbon at the center.

Step 4. Pick up the two ends of the bow wire. You should have one side with two cut ends and another side that is a loop. Pull the two cut ends through the loop and continue to pull until the ribbon bow is securely cinched at the center by the bow wire.

Step 5. Remove the bow from the Mini Bowdabra. Then separate the two cut ends of the bow wire and bring them both around to the back of the bow. Then tie it twice to double knot the wire.

Step 6. Slide the metal alligator clip through the tied off bow wire at the back of the bow.

Tip #2: For smaller bows, I found that it is difficult to use a 2-prong alligator clip. It would be much easier to insert a smaller single-prong clip.

Step 7. Fluff and shape the loops of your bow.

Here is the result of our project . . .

Below are some alternative projects utilizing the same principles as above . . .

The project below uses a double-sided 3/8" satin ribbon that is a different color on each side. I cut 8 pieces of ribbon all the same length and dovetailed all the ends. Then I placed them in the Mini Bowdabra with a twist at the center, after inserting my folded bow wire, making sure to alternate the colors.

The project below combines all the techniques in the above two projects to create a headband. I only needed to insert a thin headband into the Mini Bowdabra on top of my folded bow wire.

Tip #3: If you are using ribbon that has a repeating design on it, for best results, try to show the design evenly on both the left and right side of the bow.

Thanks to the Mini Bowdabra, I think I did pretty well considering this was my first attempt ever at making hair bows. The Mini Bowdabra retails for just $14.99 and the Hair Bow Tool, which includes a CD on how to make 70 different bow projects, retails for just $12.99. The price to buy 7 or 8 little hair bows would easily cost as much as both products put together. You can purchase these products and various bow-making supplies online at RibbonsAndThingsStore.com and locally at major craft stores, such as A.C. Moore, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, Michael's, and even Wal-Mart.

Thank you to Bowdabra for sending us complimentary product samples and supplies to utilize in this article.