Dutch Braid Tutorial

All the rage is BRAIDS & I am so on board. I love love love them & think they are appropriate for all occasions.

They make the perfect accessory for prom & special occasions as well as day to day styles & althetic events.

The Dutch braid however is taking the Pinterest world by storm. 

My clients are always asking how to achieve it and showing me pictures of them saying "I want this!!!" 

So here is a simple tutorial and some tips on how to get the look yourself!!  

A Dutch braid is just a fancy word for an inside out French braid!!! If you can French braid, then you can Dutch braid!

When doing a normal French braid you pull the pieces over top of your middle section, but when doing a Dutch braid you take the pieces and pull them under the middle section each time.  

Making the braid appear inside out and sit more on top of your head then a normal French braid that is braided under and lays flat on your head. 

(If you aren't a French braiding pro and need walked through those steps first check out this updo tutorial that shows you how to French braid!!!!)

Then once you are finished braiding the trick that no one realizes & is so simple giving that big thick beautiful braided look that everyone is going for is this ... 

Just pull! 

You literally just secure your braid at the end either with a bobby pin or a rubberband and then just pull the pieces out.  

I even rub my fingers together with the braid in the middle to mess it up and give it a more "lived in look"

If you can't French braid then just do a single 3 stranded braid & pull the pieces out & mess it up and it's looks just like a Dutch braid!!!! 

Xoxo,

Molly 

Favorite Nursing Cover

I have been on the hunt and tried several nursing covers the past few months.

I have loved being able to breastfeed my little one since birth & it's been such an incredible journey. 

I have however struggled with finding the perfect nursing cover so that I'm able to feed her in public. 

Not that I am against or judge those who don't use covers, more power to ya! For me, it's what works best & makes me and my family feel most comfortable. 

After 3 months of searching I have finally found the perfect product thanks to a dear new friend of mine!! (Thanks Keshia)

But first, the struggle:

I bought an 'udder cover' that is just a big piece of fabric and hangs around your neck. You can find it here 

I used this in the first couple days at the hospital when we had visitors and tried it a few more times at home with company & for myself it was more of a pain than lending a helping hand. It never stayed up and was hard to see if Hadley was latching. The way it fastened around your neck always came loose and would fall down as well. 

I stopped using it after a week or so and started searching for something better. 

I then tried the infinity scarf that I got from buy buy baby you can find here 

It seamed great in theory at first! 

It was a nursing cover that doubled as an infinity scarf so that you were able to wear it and have it at the drop of a hat when out in public and baby was ready to eat! 

When I get a new cover I always try it out at home first to make sure I know how to use it and there aren't any mishaps and not am I glad I did with this one! 

Since it's meant to be worn mostly as a scarf the holes are so big that it barley stays up on your shoulders. 

And while I was nursing with it Hadley and her crazy arms and legs pulled it off numerous times! So I knew it wasn't going to work in public for long and I needed to find a better cover! 

Thankfully a friend of mine introduced to me to the company 'Covered Goods' and after little convincing I ordered myself one as my first Mother's Day gift to myself! 

As soon as it came in the mail & I opened it, I knew it's what I had been looking for 

First of all the material was so much softer than any others. It was also very stretchy and cooling. Most other fabrics would make me so hot after just a few minutes of Hadley nursing. 

The best part about this cover is the fact that the top opening is smaller than the bottom so it literally sits on your shoulders and stays up around you to get you 100% covered. 

Although it's stretchy enough to take one arm out once baby is latched giving you the change to multitask a little. 

You can use it many different ways!

You can wear it as a scarf, which I love so much more than the other one I had. It actually lays cute and doesn't get too hot around my neck. 

It's even advertised to be used as a car seat cover, and a shopping cart cover!

I have draped it over my car seat multiple times.
It's nice because you can still see your little while while keeping the sun out of their eyes. 

I'm looking forward to using it in stores once Hadley gets a little stronger and can sit up completely by herself. It's a great way to keep them from sliding around and keep all those germs off of them! 

I even got creative this weekend and used it as a blanket and made this tent over her swing when we were camping to keep her in the shade more & protect her precious new skin from the sun! 

I am so in love with this product & think if you are a nursing momma you should own it stat! 

But even if you aren't breastfeeding it's worth the money for the 3 other ways to use it!  And can we talk about how cute they are!? They have some other great patterns as well! 

Check it all out & buy your own here 

Wet to dry heatless beachy waves

I am not one that goes looking for low maintenance do's, as a stylist it's my job to spend time on my hair making sure it looks good. However majority of my clients long for them & it is also my job to find solutions to their problems & achieve their needs. I understand that life gets crazy & time is limited. 

This week my salon held a product knowledge class for a new product line we are getting called 'Bumble & Bumble' 

I was eager to try some of the products we were given to test out! So I dove right in. 

One is a new product they are launching this summer called 'Don't blow it' where no heat is required. You just put the product in wet hair & let it air dry. It is supposed to enhance your natural texture & be easy to get up and go! 

So here is my review & tutorial on wet to dry heatless beachy waves! 

Step 1: 

Wash your hair , towel dry it & comb it all straight back. I like to comb my hair all back before applying the product so that it can be distributed evenly. 

(I used tigi's catwalk 'fashionista' purple shampoo and conditioner for blondes)

Step 2:

I then applied the products.

The first one was a spray on conditioner that acts as a primer to help fill in all the gaps and seal the cuticle before applying other styling products. Kind of like what make up primer does for your face! 

'Bb prep primer'

After spraying all throughout my hair (and I sprayed a lot!!!) I combed it all back again. I then applied the next product 'Don't blow it hair styler' 

I used about 3 quarter sized adrops total. I feel like you couldn't over use this product. It smells so good and has a light weight creamy conditioner feel. 

Step 3: 

Shake your hair and establish a part. Then you want to take random sections and twist them with your fingers away from your face like so ... 

The more messy the better!

Step 4:

Do nothing ! That's the best part. Just let your hair air dry. Mine takes forever, thanks to being so blonde. My hair lacks moisture and wants to hold onto every ounce of it that it can! Therefore I just slept like this!

I will admit during the process my hair felt stiff and crunchy! But when I woke up , & ran my fingers through it to broke up all the pieces and was astounded!

My very VERY poker straight hair had some wave to it! And it was soft and touchable and you couldn't even tell I had product in it!! I'm sure those of you with actual wave or texture to your hair would get even better results!! 

I am so excited for this product to launch & can't wait to get it in my clients hands!!! I love that I got this look with NO HEAT! Perfect way to keep your hair healthy

Xoxo. 

Molly 

Quick Inspiration craft

I never go looking for inspiration, it always finds me. The universe is funny that way, it always knows what and when I need things most! 

I have been OBSESSED with the show 'Fixer Upper' on HGTV lately & when they decorate and finalize details on the houses they fix up, Joanna the wife- usually has great quotes turned into artwork! 

This quote I used for my quick inspirational craft she used in a woman's home who was becoming a single mother due to a divorce & was looking for a new start.. And it just spoke to me. 

My mom raised me as a single mother for many years and now that I am a mom myself I know what that took & am forever grateful to her for all the sacrifices she made for me. 

With my maternity leave officially coming to an end, taking on a new position coaching cheer & re-doing furniture pieces for a profit now (more on that later) I have had to be away from my baby girl more than I'd like to lately. 

If I could have it my way I'd just strap her into some baby wearing contrapment and take her everywhere with me, however this is real life & that's not the case!

Some days are harder than others but they all end and begin the same, with a choice. 

How amazing is that quote?

When I saw it on the show I knew I had to have it in my house somewhere, I wanted to see it daily as a reminder. 

It literally took me 10 minutes to make! I just bought sticky letters from targets $1 bin in different colors (5 packs total) & the big canvas came in a 2 pack from Walmart for like $6! 

I used a ruler to keep my lettering straight & laid them all out before I peeled the backs & stuck them to the canvas 

Once I had everything where I wanted it, that was that! See... So easy! 

And cheap!! So cheap ! 

I hung it in our living room where I will see it everyday. I have been building & re-doing this collage wall since we moved in last year & I am really starting to love it! 

I can't wait to make more crafts for it!! 

So stay tuned :) 

Xoxo 

Molly