Riteaid

The CN ladies pulled me in again. They posted about a Riteaid sale, so I had to go check it out.

Giovanni products: Buy One, Get One Free (ends Jan. 2nd)
Herbal Essence products: $2.99

and in case you're curious, the micro fiber turban was $10.

I bought Giovanni Smooth As Silk shampoo & conditioner(2), Giovanni 50:50 shampoo & conditioner(2), Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship conditioner, Hydralicious, Totally Twisted, and None of Your Frizzness.

Photobucket

Photobucket is messing with me! lol I will have all of these pictures fixed later on today. Sorry. I'm being a little lazy right now. Please forgive me, lol. :)

Happy New Year!

If you would have told me 1 year ago that I would be able to complete all of the above styles (and then some) and actually have a blog about my daughters hair, I would have thought you were nuts! Yet here I am, most days I still can't believe it. I remember calling my sister last year, so upset that I couldn't cornrow. I remember telling her I give up, and A would be rockin' a ponytail for the rest of her life. Obviously that is not the case. :)

Beads, Braids, & Beyond has been up for just over two months and we already have 280 followers. We have had 10 diva's participate in Diva Spotlight and 4 little handsome men participate in Littleman's Lounge. We have 172 fabulous friends on Facebook, 26 followers on Twitter, and 77 subscribers on Youtube. Needless to say, you are all amazing! I have received so much positive feedback through emails, comments, and forums and I am truly grateful.

Mixed Chicks added B,B,B to their Friends & Links section.

One of my favorite websites, http://cornrows.co.uk, the website that finally taught me how to cornrow added B,B,B to their Links section.

B,B,B submits weekly articles over at Curly Nikki now. Her website helped me tremendously when I first started learning about natural hair care.

I can't close 2009 out without giving a shout out to my BBC mama's who gave me the push to create the blog. I <3 you girls!

A special shout out to:
-Drea, who was our first follower (I was really excited, she can vouch for that)
-Lee, who has helped me so much!
-Diana, you are sooo helpful!
-Tasha, for coming up with the blog name!
-Coll, always giving me an extra push when needed.

And of course, I have to thank everyone who has helped me in various forums along the way. All of the women I have come in contact with in the natural hair community are so helpful.

A loves seeing all of the women and children with hair similar to hers, and I am so happy and thankful for that.

I look forward to 2010. More Diva Spotlight, Littleman's Lounge, and Hair Share. Here's to growing the natural hair "family" for the little one's! I'm anxious to meet new people, and learn new things.

I hope you all have a happy and blessed new year!

My New Years Hair Resolution

Hey ladies!

I wanted to share my new years hair resolution with you all. I previously shared these pictures and exciting news with my BBC mamas, then shared them over on NC in the 2 section.

Both pictures I washed my hair and let it air dry with no product in. The first was taken July 18th, the second was taken December 28th.

My hair is naturally curly but I have been flat ironing my hair since I was about 13 years old. I'm talking every day, 2-3 times per day. Well, I completely flat ironed my curls out. I had 8 inches cut off a few months after having my son. (he was born in April) I have *rarely* been using heat on my hair and it seems like it is trying to come back to life. I know I still need a major cut to get rid of all of the damage. Looking at the after picture, my hair is just wavy, but when I look at older pictures (specifically when I was 9-13) my hair was curly. I'm definitely excited for my natural hair to be back. So my new years hair resolution is to put very minimal (if any) heat on my hair, and if I do happen to flat iron my hair, use a heat protectant. I look forward to learning more about my hair, and what products my hair likes. In the mean time, I will be checking out The Wavy Tales. She has a lot of great reviews and is definitely a certified product junkie. lol :) I also plan on learning more about the Curly Girl Method for my hair. Stay tuned!

By the way, don't mind the sunglasses picture, that was the only one I could find where my hair wasn't flat ironed.

Do you have a hair resolution for yourself or your little one?

The Best Way to Remove Tangles, Will you take the pledge?

Your fingers!

I know! So simple, right?

Unfortunately, many people (sometimes including myself) often skip this step.

When you wet your childs hair and load it up with conditioner, you probably automatically take a wide tooth comb to it. The thing is, the comb does not remove the tangles like your fingers would. The comb just rips through the tangles, causing a lot of unneccassary breakage.

So I am taking a pledge. From now on I will detangle her hair with my fingers first before using a wide tooth comb.

I, Nikki, pledge to always remove tangles from A's hair with my fingers before using a wide tooth comb.

Just copy what I said, and add your comment with your name and your childs name.

Remember, if you take the pledge, you must stick with it or else we will have to find you and do kung fu! :)

More Hair Accessories

So I go to the Beauty Supply Store today to pick up some ORS Lock & Twist gel, I'm in there minding my business when next thing you know I am in the accessory department. Now how did that happen? I don't need any more accessories. It's like an amazing force takes over and you have absoloutely no control over the situation. Here you are in a daze looking at products and reading ingredients while your significant other is calling your name. You can be in Walmart picking up some cleaning supplies but somehow you always end up in the product/accessory department buying up things you know you don't need. Oh, is that what you call a product junkie? Now you KNOW you're a product junkie if that happens! Better yet, how about you're in a store and you get mad because they don't sell hair products OR accessories. Over there muggin' the clerk like they did something wrong. (is that just me?) I mean, not even accessories though? C'mon! :) haha I'm being silly. Let me stop.

So I bought the ORS Lock & Twist Gel alright. I also bought some more beads (regular and stars) and some heart hair snaps. Now supposedly, you can snap those little bad boys at the end of a braid/twist to hold the beads. An option if you're not into rubberbands. Hmmm, will it work or will beads be lost? We shall see!

First Grade Teacher Cuts Girls Hair

I have been reading about this on various forums/blogs since yesterday and I still can't believe it! Please watch the video.

This is a shortened video:



Longer version: (goes on to say they have been stressed about budget cuts)

Go watch/read the news story HERE!

"A Milwaukee teacher is charged with disorderly conduct after punishing a first-grader by cutting her hair.

Lamya Cammon is angry, confused, and scared by the incident last week in which the apparently frustrated teacher cut one of her braids off after she wouldn't stop playing with them in class.

Cammon, 7, sports a few dozen braids, but one is conspicuously absent.

"She told me to stop playing with it. Then cut it off and sent me back to my desk," Cammon said.

Cammon's a first-grader at Congress Elementary and said her teacher used a pair of classroom scissors to cut off one of the braids after she absent-mindedly kept playing with them.

"Tell me how you play with your hair. Show me what that means," 12 News reporter Nick Bohr said to Cammon.

"I wasn't playing with it that loud," Cammon said.

She said the teacher called her to the front of the room and cut it in front of the whole class.

"What did you do?" Bohr asked.

"I went to my desk and cried. And they was laughing," Cammon said. "She threw it away, and she said, 'Now what you gonna go home and say to your momma? ' And I said, 'That you cut off my hair,'" Cammon said."

______________________________________

This woman is STILL working at the school and only received a $175 fine for this assault! The little girl is in a different classroom however, she will still be seeing this teacher out in the hallways. Can you imagine that being you (7 years old) and how traumatized you would be?

I am very angry about this, to say the least.

So after chatting it up with some of the fab Curly Nikki ladies in the forum, a few of us are going to write the school. It may not change anything at all. However, I am very bothered by this, just sitting around talking about it won't do anything at all. Hopefully some of you join in as well.

This is the schools address:
Congress Elementary School
5225 West Lincoln Creek Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53218

This is the schools email address:
116@mail.milwaukee.k12.wi.us

This is the school districts address:
Milwaukee Public Schools
5225 West Vliet Street
Milwaukee, WI 53208


What are your thoughts on this?

Organizing Hair Accessories

I remember back when I first started learning how to style A's hair, I would always buy random hair accessories and throw them all in this huge bag. Well, that didn't work. When I needed something I would have to dump the entire bag out and search for that white clip or that pink ballie. On top of that, everything was wrapped around each other! It was not a good sight, that's for sure. Plus, it made things stressful. Especially if we didn't have a lot of time.

Now we have this little setup that works out perfectly. I found some things around the house and made it work. You can too!

First, we have a new addition. A super cute cupcake themed bow holder from Little Lady & Me: A lot of Style for your Little Lady. All of the bows seen on the bow holder are from Little Lady & Me.



Next, we have a storage bin I had laying around the house. I finally put it to good use. You should be able to find one of these at Walmart, Target, etc for around $10-$15.

I have beads in ziplock baggies, headbands in a bag that came with one of A's princess sets, ponytail holders in ziplock baggies, barrettes/ballies in onesie packs. (thanks to her baby brother!) I also have the spray bottle hanging on the side, and combs and other various things on the bottom.



I hung up a long ribbon on the side of the storage bin and added all of A's bows.



On the other side of the bin I have curlers. The flexi-rods and rollers are in bags that came with her princess sets.



I took these pictures so you can get a better look at everything.

Ponytail holders, headbands, rubberbands, and other unopened accessories.



Barrettes/ballies in onesie packs. :)



Beads in ziplock baggies.



Hair tools.



Hair curlers.



I try to keep everything color coordinated. It is very helpful. Especially when you're dealing with beads. At one point I had all of the beads in a jar together and I struggled finding the right colors to put on the beader.

So there you have it! Our little set up. I hope it has given you some ideas. I know we will have to upgrade to something bigger soon but for now this is what works for us.

How do you keep your hair accessories organized?

Walgreens

Ummm, yeah. We didn't need any of the above products. I blame BBC & CN ladies for this. They posted about the Organix sale, so I had to check it out. Of course you know once you go into a store, you leave with what you were looking for and then some. $25 for everything posted in the picture above. Not bad, Walgreens.

I guess I'll tell you about the sales now. :)

Organix Shampoo & Conditioner:
Buy one get one free. So, 2/$6.99

Samy's Curl Defining Creme:
Buy one get one free. So, 2/$6.49

27.3oz Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner: $5.99

And the Winner is.....

(Watch video to find out who won)

Congrats!!!

Please email me your mailing address by December 11th at beadsbraidsbeyond@yahoo.com Make sure everything is correct!

I want to thank everyone who participated! There will be more Giveaways to come. Thanks to everyone who follows our blog!



In case you forgot, you will receive the following:



Didn't win? Head over to Denman to get one of these amazing brushes! These brushes are also available in UK
through Boots nationwide.

Everyone subscribe to Beads, Braids, & Beyond on youtube HERE!

I plan on trying to do some tutorials so please request away by leaving a comment! Do you want to learn how to cornrow? Sister twists? Detangling? etc.

Thanks everyone!

Last Chance to Enter the Giveaway!

Tomorrow (December 4th) is THE last day to enter the Giveaway everyone!!

If you follow the blog, simply comment on the giveaway post telling me you follow along with your first name and that gets you one entry! View the post to see how you can get additional entries.

Our Paint Creation

I think it's apparent that I am not good at designing things, lol. Once again, boredom got the best of me so I played around with Paint. A helped me every step of the way, so it makes it kind of special. She kept telling me to make the puffs bigger (that's my girl!), she told me what color dresses and shoes she wanted, and so on. I decided to make it a button too, so feel free to add it to your website. Hope you all like it! :)

Just say HELL NO Texture Softener

I am so tired of seeing misleading information about the Just For Me Texture Softener, that I decided to make a post about it. I do not wish to offend anyone.

Edit: A post on a forum inspired me to make this. Someone posted a lot of misleading information. She deleted the thread after I gave her this link though.

To sum it up, if you or your child has used the Just For Me "Texture Softener", then you have a relaxer. A no-lye relaxer, but a relaxer nonetheless.

After looking at Just For Me Texture Softener's website, I think it is safe to say this product is marketed towards African American/Biracial children. Specifically Biracial children if you read their Advice for Moms section.

First we will talk about ingredients, which I could not find on their website. Surprise, surprise. I googled "Just For Me Texture Softener ingredients" and Walgreens was the first to pop up.

Ingredients:
Water- Aqua, , Petrolatum, , Cetearyl Alcohol, , Mineral Oil- Paraffinum Liquidum, , Polysorbate 60, , Calcium Hydroxide, , Propylene Glycol, , PEG-75 Lanolin, , Sodium Stearoamphoacetate, , Aloe Barbadensis, , Oleth-3 Phosphate, , Linalool, , Fragrance- Parfum, , Water- Aqua, , Guanidine Carbonate, , Xanthan Gum, , Denatonium Benzoate, , Green 5- CI 61570, , Green 8- CI 59040, , Water- Aqua, , Sodium Laureth Sulfate, , Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate, , Citric Acid, , Polyquaternium-7, , PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, , Polysorbate 20, , Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol, , Algae Extract, , Aloe Barbadensis, , PEG-150 Distearate, , Tetrasodium EDTA, , Phenolsulfonphthalein, , Diazolidinyl Urea, , DMDM Hydantoin, , Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, , Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, , Benzyl Salicylate, , Butyl Phenyl Methyl Propional, , Citronellol, , Coumarin, , Linalool, , Fragrance- Parfum, , Carthamus Tinctorius, , Helianthus Annuus, , Glycine Soja, , Mineral Oil- Paraffinum Liquidum, , Zea Mays, , Limnanthes Alba, , Lanolin Oil, , Tocopheryl Acetate, , Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, , Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, , BHT, , Amyl Cinnamal, , Citral, , Limonene, , Linalool, , Fragrance- Parfum, , Water- Aqua, , Mineral Oil- Paraffinum Liquidum, , Polyquaternium-22, , Hydroxyethylcellulose, , Acetamide MEA, , Panthenol, , Hydrolyzed Keratin, , Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, , Sodium Cocoyl Collagen Amino Acids, , Algae Extract, , Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol, , Simmondsia Chinensis, , Tocopheryl Acetate, , Aloe Barbadensis, , Oleth-3 Phosphate, , Sorbitan Stearate, , Linoleic Acid, , Linolenic Acid, , Triticum Vulgare, , Wheat Germ Acid, , Propylene Glycol, , Sorbitol, , Cocoyl Sarcosine, , Methylisothiazolinone, , Methylchloroisothiazolinone, , Fragrance- Parfum, , Water- Aqua, , Mineral Oil- Paraffinum Liquidum, , Lanolin, , Lanolin Wax, , Petrolatum, , Lanolin Oil, , C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, , Hydroxylated Lanolin, , Panthenol, , Sorbitan Oleate, , Sodium Borate, , Methylparaben, , Diazolidinyl Urea, , Limonene, , Fragrance- Parfum, , Red 33- CI 17200,

So I took a trip over to Teri's ingredients dictionary.

Calcium hydroxide
Avoid
Often found in “no-lye” relaxers and texturizers.
It is still as harshly alkaline as lye. Highly caustic. Denatures hair and can dissolve it. Can cause severe burns on skin. Of the same pH found in oven cleaners, drain cleaners and hair removers. Pg 155.

Read more about calcium hydroxide here.

Guanidine carbonate
Avoid
This is mixed with calcium hydroxide to form guanidine hydroxide, a common ingredient in relaxers. Pg 155

This is also listed on the Walgreens website under WARNINGS, which I assume is also listed on the box.

Warnings:
-This product contains calcium hydroxide and guanidine carbonate - toxic.
- Keep out of reach of children.
- Keep this product and all others away from eyes and mouth.
-Product may be harmful if it accidentally gets into eyes or mouth.
-Contains alkali agent.
-Avoid contact with eyes. Can cause blindness.
-Can cause hair breakage and/or loss.
-If product gets into eyes, wash eyes thoroughly with water.
-If product is swallowed, consult a physician immediately.
-Follow directions carefully to avoid skin and scalp burns, hair loss and eye injury.
-Do not use on bleached or permanently colored hair which is breaking, splitting or otherwise damaged.
-If hair has been previously treated with Texture Softener or relaxed, apply only to new growth as described in the instructions.
-If product causes skin or scalp irritations, rinse out immediately and wash with the shampoo included in the kit.
-If irritation persists or if hair loss occurs, consult a physician immediately.
-Please wear suitable gloves.
-Misuse of this product can cause hair damage.

Here is what I find very interesting when I go under the Advice for Moms section:

"Building Your Daughter's Self Esteem Starts Early
Ethnic and multi-ethnic children, especially little girls, realize the values that society places on outer appearances, especially what may make them different, much sooner than you might think. Little girls form their self-image early and are impacted by messages and other influences in their environment. By the time your daughter begins to interact socially with friends or family members or take in the many messages in the media, she will have some idea about her image and how others may view her. In order to ensure your daughter has a healthy self-concept, it is important to begin talking to her about her identity as soon as possible so that you can instill in her a strong self-esteem and a healthy self-image. It is just as important to de-emphasize the importance of outer beauty and communicate to her that her beauty begins on the inside. Because we believe this is crucial for little girls, Just for Me™ Texture Softener™ tapped nationally renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere to offer ways to start the dialogue with your child. "

Building your daughter's self esteem DOES start early but putting chemicals in your daughter's hair most certainly will not "build" her self esteem. They might be lead to believe that their natural hair is not good enough, or pretty enough.

That's why we as parents need to tell our children every day that they are beautiful, that their hair is beautiful, and it is not some difficult task to take care of.

Do not talk negative about your childs hair infront of them. Kids pick up on things very easily, I think we should all know that.

Now, lets move on to Just For Me Texture Softener's F.A.Q's section:

My daughter's curly/kinky hair is difficult to manage. Why should I use Just For Me! Texture Softener?
Tightly curled hair tangles causing breakage when combed. Just For Me™ Texture Softener™ softens the natural hair texture to prevent breakage caused by combing and styling.*

First of all, ALL hair can break if it is not detangled properly. Kinky curly hair may take a little more time but the Just For Me Texture Softner is NOT the solution! You need to learn how to properly detangle the hair. Simple as that. Work on wet hair, in sections, comb through with a wide tooth comb starting from the ends and working your way up. Try finger combing first for an easier detangling session.

Also, I want to be CLEAR that on the Just For Me Texture Softener's website, they state "Texture Softener™ is so gentle it can be used on girls as young as five years old.", FIVE years old. So yes, to those of you who have said it can be used on children of all ages (in forums) you are wrong. They surprisngly have an age limit.

I am not making this post to put anyone down. I know people make mistakes. I know once upon a time there was not a whole lot of natural children's hair care information out there. I wanted to make this post for anyone considering the Just For Me Texture Softener. I hope that by seeing the harsh chemicals they use and reading the warnings you will change your mind.

Curly hair is not hard to manage, you just need to learn how to properly care for it. Of course, if you have the means (internet access) to do research, then PLEASE, do your research mama's!! Please feel free to email me any specific questions at beadsbraidsbeyond@yahoo.com or you can ask me over at Curly Nikki in the Curl Friends section of her forum.

I also would like to add, I read on a forum that the Just For Me Texture Softener does not straighten the hair, that is untrue. After viewing many before and after's most of the time the hair was almost straight, or just wavy, not even curly anymore. I know this is not the case for all, but that is what I have seen.

From here, it is up to you to decide what you want to do with your child's hair. I am not your mom, I am not your child's mom, but I did want to give you some facts. I am hoping you...

Just say HELL NO!!! :)

And learn to embrace your child's beautiful hair.

Please feel free to discuss.

Giveaway Time!! CLOSED

It is time for the Giveaway! This is Beads, Braids, & Beyond's first Giveaway so this is very exciting. There will be more to come!

First, I would like to say thank you to everyone for following the blog, supporting the blog, and spreading the word about the blog. I think it is amazing how quickly the natural hair community comes together and supports one another.

Next, I have to say thank you to Denman!

These wonderful brushes are available in UK
through Boots nationwide and also on their website www.denmanbrush.com

They also sell a more stylish Denman, along with some cute fragranced Tutti Frutti Denmans! So check out their website.

As you can see, the Giveaway includes the Denman D3 Brush (love it!!!) a pack of (at least) 1000 pink beads, and two packs of barrettes!

The Giveaway is currently only available to those of you in the US/Canda.

In order to enter the Giveaway you MUST be a follower of this blog! That is the only requirement.

One entry: Simply leave a comment saying "I follow your blog" along with your first name. If you happen to notice someone else has the same name, leave a nickname or add an initial to the end of your name.

One entry: Become a Facebook friend/fan! (Look at the end of the right side column for the link) Make sure you let me know if you are a friend/fan!

One entry: Spread the word about the blog. Twitter it, Myspace it, Facebook it, post it on your blog, post it in a forum, You get the idea! Leave a comment saying you have done so and on what website.

Two entries: Add one of our buttons (to the right) to your facebook, myspace, blog, whatever! Leave a comment saying you have added the button and to what website.

One entry: If your child has ALREADY participated on Beads, Braids, & Beyond blog leave a comment telling me where they participated (ex. Diva Spotlight/Hair Share) along with their name. If your child has participated more than once (ex. Diva Spotlight AND Hair Share) make sure you let me know.

Two entries: If your child participated in the Style Challenge let me know! Make sure you tell me their name.

I will leave this open for a week or so. I plan on writing all of the names down, putting them in a hat/bowl and letting A draw the name out on camera.

Good luck everyone!

Poll's are down!

The Results:

What would you like to see more of?

Diva Spotlight 16 (11%)
Braids/Cornrows 46 (33%)
Holiday Hair 23 (16%)
Twists 15 (11%)
Product Reviews 36 (26%)

So, your top two are BRAIDS/CORNROWS and PRODUCT REVIEWS. I will definitley be posting more of both! I will also add other things in the mix too since a little of everything got votes.

What would you like to see in the giveaway?

Denman D3 Brush 55 (38%)
Beads/Barrettes 33 (23%)
Bows 13 (9%)
Rat tail comb/Spray bottle/Wide tooth comb (the basics) 3 (2%)
Satin Bonnet 7 (4%)
Goody Cloth Covered Ponytail Holders 2 (1%)
Other (specify in comment/email please) 1 (0%)
Flexi-Rods 29 (20%)

So DENMAN D3 and BEADS/BARRETTES it is! The Giveaway will be VERY soon!

Thanks to everyone who voted!

Curly Nikki!!!

Of course I had to make a seperate post to let you all know that A is on CurlyNikki today! I looooove her blog!!! Go check out the post here and leave a comment! Thanks so much!!! Also be sure to check out her very helpful forum! :D


www.curlynikki.com
www.curlynikki.com
www.curlynikki.com

*EDIT: I forgot to add, Curly Nikki is also blogging for Tyra!!! How cool is that? Show her some love here!

Giveaway!

Wow, 90 followers already? I just made this blog on October 23rd, 2009. I am very surprised! We are so close to 100 followers. I thought for sure it would take months to get close to 100 followers. As you may know, once Beads, Braids, & Beyond! reaches 100 followers we will do a small giveaway for those of you who follow the blog. I added yet another poll to the right. I would love to know what you think I should include in the giveaway. If you chose "other" please specify in a comment or email me with your suggestions at beadsbraidsbeyond@yahoo.com

I will probably include the top two things you all vote for. We shall see....

I am going to take the "Is this blog helpful?" poll down. The results:

Yes- 85 (97%)
No- 1 (1%)
Somewhat 1 (1%)

Once again, thanks so much to everyone who follows this blog! Also a big thanks to those of you who spread the word. I really do appreciate it! :)

*EDIT: We now have 103 followers!! Wow! Thanks everyone!!! The giveaway will be very soon. I just added the poll yesterday so I want to give everyone a few days to vote for what they want in the giveaway. Make sure you vote!!! Looks like the Denman brush is in the lead....

Privacy Policy

At Beads, Braids and Beyond (www.beadsbraidsbeyond.blogspot.com) the privacy of our readers is very important. This privacy policy explains the types of personal information that is received and collected and how it is used.

Affiliate programs: The Amazon Beads, Braids & Beyond store and all links are apart of Beads, Braids and Beyond affiliate program. Links to Bee Mine Products are also apart of Beads, Braids and Beyond affiliate program.

Copyright: All content, including photos may not be used without the written permission of Beads, Braids and Beyond.

Log files: Like many other websites, we use log files which include:Internet Protocol addresses(IP), Types of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), Date and time stamp, Referring and exit pages, Number of clicks

Cookies: We use cookies to store information about visitor preferences and to record user-specific information on visits and pages the user views. In regard to third-party advertisers, Beads, Braids and Beyond has no access or control over these cookies. You should review the respective privacy policies on any and all third-party ad servers for more information regarding their practices and how to opt-out.

If you would like to disable cookies you may do so through your web browser options. Instructions for doing so and for other cookie-related management can be found on the specific web browsers’ websites.

DoubleClick DART Cookie: Google, a third party vendor, uses the DART cookie to serve ads on Beads, Braids and Beyond. Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting Google’s Content Network Privacy Policy. http://www.google.com/privacy/ads/

Amazon Affiliates Cookie: Amazon Affiliates, a third party system, uses cookies to serve advertisements and links to products on Amazon.com. You may read more about Amazon Affiliates and their Operating Agreement here.

If you require any more information about our privacy policy, please contact me at beadsbraidsbeyond@yahoo.com

Friendly Reminder

I wanted to remind everyone of the Giveaway I plan to do once I reach 100 followers.

If you're anything like me, you bookmark blogs instead of following them. GUILTY AS CHARGED! Ok, I don't do that anymore! I promise! :) Please follow the blog. The Giveaway is only open to those of you who follow Beads, Braids, & Beyond! Again, it will just be something like some cute hair accessories, nothing major, but hey- it's free! haha

I would like to thank all of the followers we have so far! I truly appreciate it! I would also like to thank those of you who have spread the word about this blog! Thanks so much everyone!

I also made some buttons for the blog. (to the right) Please feel free to use the code on your website!!

Diva Spotlight!

I'm going to add Diva Spotlight to the blog. Basically I will just interview mother's and ask them different questions in regards to their child's hair. What kind of products they use, their routine, to share some pictures. You get the idea!

If you would like to be a part of Diva Spotlight please email me at beadsbraidsbeyond@yahoo.com

Thank You

Also, on to other news, I would like to do a giveaway once I reach 100 followers. Seems like long ways away but who knows? Nothing major, just some cute hair accesories and things like that. Just wanted to let everyone know!

Walmart

So, thanks to Cassie (told you I'd blame you too) I went back to Walmart (very rare, I go maybe once a year) to get some cute hair stuff. I spent almost $30. I got almost 2 packs of everything. Hey, she has a lot of hair! I had to stop myself because I could have easily spent close to $100 on hair accessories. They actually have some really cute, cheap stuff!!



Check them out! You should be seeing some of this stuff in upcoming posts.

A's Hair Care Routine

Routine has been modified- Will be updating with changes soon.

If you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to email me: beadsbraidsbeyond@yahoo.com


This post is still a work in progress.

Weekly Washing & Detangling:

• Shampoo scalp 1x per week with sulfate free shampoo. I shampoo her scalp 1x per week whether she has her hair out and free, or if she has a style in. I only add shampoo to her scalp and massage with the balls of my fingertips. Lately I have been using Bee Mine Shampoo, but I use other sulfate free shampoos from time to time. I'm not very picky when it comes to shampoo! As long as it's moisturizing and sulfate free.
• After shampooing, rinse hair and scalp well, then immediately apply moisturizing conditioner to hair. I usually use Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner. I say immediately after rinsing because her hair soaks up water pretty quickly so I want to apply the conditioner on soaking wet hair. Leave conditioner sit for 5-15 minutes (with or without plastic cap) while she plays then do a quick, light water rinse over the hair and begin detangling.
• I start parting (with my fingers) a small section of hair straight across in the back, then tie the rest of the hair off to get it out of my way. The first step in detangling is finger detangling. I finger comb her hair, gently removing all knots and tangles. I smooth my fingers over sections of her hair, if they feel "lumpy" I will focus on that section and gently pull apart the strands of hair. If the strands of hair (or knots/tangles) are not coming apart easily I will rewet the section, add some more conditioner, and gently try to work my way through it. I do not snap the hair apart, which causes breakage. After I finger detangle that section, I comb through with a wide tooth comb, at this point the comb should easily glide through her hair. I then twist or braid (if I have the time) so it doesn't tangle back up and move on to the next section. I usually have about 6 sections total.
• I (usually) rinse the conditioner out (with a large cup) while her hair is braided/twisted in 6 sections. Once again, I do this so her hair doesn't tangle back up. I gently squeeze the braids/twists to remove any excess water or conditioner. If I didn't have time to braid/twist each section then I just rinse the conditioner out of her (detangled) hair as is. I do not towel dry her hair.

This is usually what her hair looks like after being washed and detangled:

• After she gets out of the bathtub we go to her room, I put on one of her favorite shows (Sprout or Noggin) and I begin to unravel one braid/twist at a time and apply a leave-in or moisturizer. We are currently using Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer. I apply about a quarter sized amount (or more) to each section, focusing on her ends. I comb through with a wide tooth comb and braid or band the section. Lately I have been banding. Since I usually wash her hair on Saturday, I like to braid/band it up after washing to stretch it out a bit for styling on Sunday. Banding works much better for us than braiding/twisting each section, it keeps the hair detangled so when I go to style we don't have any of those little "snags" or any knots/tangles, therefore no breakage. I make sure the ponytail holders are not too tight and I only use the Ouchless or No Damage ponytail holders. I find that the cloth covered Goody Ouchless ponytail holders work best. I usually band her hair in 3-6 sections, I leave 1-2 inches out of the bands on the bottom and I braid the ends.

What her banded hair usually looks like after washing and applying moisturizer:

• The entire washing, detangling, and banding process usually takes 40 minutes to 1 hour
• I try to cover her hair each night with a satin bonnet.

Styling:

• As previously stated, I usually wash her hair on Saturday, moisturize and band it after washing, then style it on Sunday.
• She usually has 3-4 styles per month.
• I remove all Ouchless bands from her hair, apply a little more Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer, finger detangle her hair again, then use a wide tooth comb or Modified Denman D3 Brush. I gently start from her ends, working my way up to her roots. Her hair must be stretched and well moisturized for "dry" detangling.
• Lately I only use Bee Mine Curly Butter to style her hair. Whether it's braids, twists, cornrows, buns, etc. Before using Curly Butter I used Unrefined Shea Butter mixed with Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and a little Organic Root Stimulator Lock & Twist Gel.
• Most of the time, I leave her styles in for at least 1 week. Cornrows and box braids can last us up to 2 weeks, box braids can last us sometimes close to three weeks.
• While she has a style in I am sure to moisturize her hair. I spray her styles daily or every other day with Bee Mine Juicy Spirtz and moisturize her ends with Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer or Bee Mine BeeLoved Hair & Scalp Moisturizer each night. I focus on her ends, edges, and nape area. Before using Bee Mine I used Giovanni Direct Leave-in and Unrefined Shea Butter mixed with Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.
• I make sure her styles are not too tight. No tight ponytails or braids, etc.
• If you do not know how to cornrow, please check out our Cornrowing for Beginners post.
• My current favorite product for defining her curls (when she wears her hair out) is Blended Cutie Down & Out Styles.

Accessorizing:

• I absolutely love to accessorize her hair! I do try to limit accessories though.
• When I use rubberbands or elastics I soak them in Extra Virgin Olive Oil or melted Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. If I do not have time to soak them I will quickly dip then in and use them like that.
• I am sure not to make any ponytails too tight and I also do not wrap the rubberbands around her ends (when she has beads or barrettes in) too many times, wrapping them a million times is unecssary.
• I try not to keep rubberbands in her hair for too long. Whether they were soaked in oil or not.
• Lately I have been using hair snaps on the ends to hold beads in place of rubberbands.
• I only use certain ponytail holders to band her hair, and I only use certain ponytail holders for ponytails, buns, puffs, etc. All ponytail holders are not created equal!
• Check out this post I submitted to CurlyNikki for more info on accessories and using them properly.

A's Swimming Routine:

• Rinse the hair with water before getting in the pool.
• Apply a light leave-in. Giovanni Direct Leave-in, a little Herbal Essences Hello Hydration, or Bee Mine Deja's Hair Milk. Focus the leave-in on her ends.
• Coat the hair with Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.
• If possible, put the hair up in a high ponytail or bun with ends tucked under.
• Braids and cornrows hold up very well in the water so try to incorporate those at least 2-3x per month during the Summer.
• Cowash (washing hair with conditioner only) with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner or Bee Mine Avocado Conditioner after swimming. Leave conditioner in for 15-30 minutes, sometimes longer, with a plastic cap. I will continue only shampooing 1x per week (see above regular routine) unless I feel it is necessary to shampoo more often. I will let you all know if anything changes.
• I am going to try to incorporate a deep conditioner (specifically made for deep conditioning) 1x per week. I will keep you all posted.
• Apply Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer to hair after rinsing conditioner out, focusing on her ends.

If you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to email me: beadsbraidsbeyond@yahoo.com

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We love for our readers to participate! We love seeing all of the beautiful hair and styles so please feel free to email your submission at any time: beadsbraidsbeyond@yahoo.com



Subject: Diva Spotlight

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Fill out the questions below. Please Limit 10 pictures, less than 10 is fine but no more than 10. Thank you!

Tell us a little about yourself & your daughter: (example: name/nicknames, age, hair type if you know it, maybe a family picture)

What is your daughter's hair care routine? (example: how often do you wash & style her hair? how long do you leave her styles in? do you do anything special for bed? etc.)

What kind of products do you use on her hair?

Have you ever used chemicals on her hair? (if yes, why? and will you ever do it again? why/why not?)

Can we see a few of your favorite styles?

How did you learn to do all of this?

How does your daughter feel about her hair? Can we see her favorite style?

If you had to share one hair care tip, what would it be?

Subject: Littleman's Lounge

To copy & paste: Highlight text, press CTRL + C on your keyboard, then paste it where you want it.

Fill out the questions below. Please Limit 10 pictures, less than 10 is fine but no more than 10. Thank you!

Tell us a little about yourself and your son: (example: name/nicknames, age, hair type if you know it, maybe a family picture)

What is your son's hair care routine? (example: how often do you style? does he get hair cuts, if so how often? do you do anything special to his hair at night? etc.)

What kind of products do you use on his hair?

Can we see some hair pictures?

How does your son feel about his hair?

If you had to share one hair care tip, what would it be?

Subject: Hair Share!

Please limit 4 pictures each week. Hair Share is posted on the weekend so be sure to have your pictures in by Friday. Hair Share can include any pictures you would like to share. A new style, an old style, all natural, etc.

Contact

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, maybe you would like your product reviewed, or maybe you would like to sponsor a giveaway for our readers, whatever it may be the best way to contact me is through email. You can email me at:

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About

Miss "A" & "Lil Man"

My name is Nikki, I have two children, "A" (5 years old), and "Lil Man'" (2 years old). After searching high and low for a blog catered to Biracial/African American children's hair care and coming up short I  decided to create my own. I want to showcase a variety of natural children's hairstyles and show other moms that yes, your child does have options. I know some mothers think their children can only wear braids, while another may think their child can only wear a puff, and while that is cute, I don't want you to ever feel limited because your child has natural hair. I truly believe natural hair is the most versatile hair out there. Embrace it, don't fight it.

Disclaimer: I am not a professional by any means. This is a hobby of mine and we use "hair time" as a bonding experience. We talk, laugh, crack jokes, and just have fun.


If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions, the best way to contact me is through email: beadsbraidsbeyond@yahoo.com





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The Basics

I wanted to make my first post about the basics of caring for Biracial/African American hair. I want to point out that I am not a professional. Believe it or not, I just learned how to properly care for and style my daughter's hair this year. (Around January 2009) I have done a lot of research on Biracial/African American hair yet I am still learning something new every day. I hope this helps someone out there!

Basic tools needed:

A rat tail comb for parting. I prefer metal. A spray bottle, and a WIDE tooth comb.

Washing:
Wash the scalp with shampoo once a week. No need to apply the shampoo to all of your child's hair. Gently scrub the scalp with the balls of your fingers, NOT your fingernails. Depending on how thick your child's hair is, you may find it easier to work in sections. Try 4 sections. When you are done, rinse the hair and scalp thoroughly.

I personally condition my daughter's hair once a week as well. Many people cowash (washing hair with conditioner only) a few times a week. Whatever works for you.

When you add the conditioner, it would probably be best to apply it in sections. After you apply the conditioner on one section, take your wide tooth comb and starting from the ends comb through, work your way up. Be gentle! Try finger combing first if you have enough time. It makes a huge difference. The more coarse/curly the hair, the easier it is to tangle, tangles = breakage because many people do not know how to get those little tangles out. If you do come across a little snag, I suggest getting it a bit more wet and applying a little more conditioner to the tangle and just try to work it out as best you can. Do not pull the hair apart, it will break off! Detangle the rest of the hair the same way. Next, it is your decision to rinse the conditioner out, or leave it in. I personally use Teri's method of not rinsing the conditioner out. (it leaves A's curls looking great!) Now, you can't just leave in any old regular conditioner, she has a list of recommendations on her website.

Now, you will probably be tempted to dry your little one's hair with a towel. I suggest doing light dabs with a towel, or just go section by section with your hands and squeeze out the excess water.

Time for bed? If your child does not have their hair styled I suggest doing 4-8 big twists/braids in the hair so it does not tangle over night. Have them sleep on a satin bonnet/pillow case if possible. In the morning, take down each section one at a time, grab your spray bottle (which should have a conditioner or leave-in conditioner mixed in) shake it up, spray the section of hair, if you want, add a moisturizer and finger comb that section, or use a wide tooth comb, repeat on each section of hair. This should be done in no time at all! It really saves time in the morning if you do that before bed time.

If you have a style in your child's hair, it would probably be best to take out any hair accesories before bed. (beads, barrettes, bows, rubberbands, etc) I personally do not do that all of the time, even though I should. I'm working on it.

On days when A's hair is down and it needs detangled I just use my handy dandy spray bottle with conditioner mixed in and a wide tooth comb.

On days when I style A's hair I usually soak the rubberbands in olive oil first. (If I even need to use rubberbands)

I usually leave A's styles in for one week.

We currently use Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo, Herbal Essence Hello Hydration, & Giovanni Direct Leave-in.

I currently use Organic Root Stimulator Moisturizing Lotion to style A's hair. (Braids, cornrows, twists) But I recently discovered it has petroleum in it, which can dry the hair out so after this bottle is gone I will no longer use it. I am on the hunt for something new!

Determining Hair Type:
Curly Hair Salon, Naturally Curly, or Blended Beauty

Other Cool Websites:
Tightly Curly
Biracial Hair Care Guide from Treasured Locks
Naturally Curly
Caring for Kinky Curly Hair
Learn to Cornrow *This is how I learned!

Disclosure Policy

Thanks to all of you I am able to make money through blogging. Significant? Eh. But it does put money in my children's bank and allows me to purchase things for them that I could not normally afford.

Disclosure policy:

• I do not do paid reviews, however, I have been sent products free of charge to review. If they were sent to me, that will be disclosed in the post. If I bought them, that will also be disclosed in the post.
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Thank you for your continued support and encouragement! As always, it is very much appreciated.