No Ponytails For Mom

I always take the time to make sure Syd's hair is properly cared for and styled nicely. She rarely walks out of the house with her hair just thrown up into a quick ponytail. Me, on the other hand? A messy, just-get-it-out-of-my-face ponytail has actually become my normal style. Sad, huh?

Well, things are going to change. I decided that I need to put as much love into my own hair as I put into Syd's. Working at home is no excuse for me to put no effort into my appearance. So for the next 3 weeks, I have decided to put an end to my ponytail habit.

From now until Mother's day, I will not allow myself to wear my hair in a ponytail. The only exception to this rule will be when I am working out. Running with my hair down just doesn't sound like a good idea.

To give you an idea of what I'm working with, here is a picture of my hair in its completely natural state. I washed it, combed it, and left it alone until it had completely air dried on its own (about 4 hours). It's very thick, very coarse, and can get pretty frizzy at times, despite being almost completely straight. (There goes the theory that frizz only attacks curly heads!)

Since I don't want to use a flat iron every day, I'm going to have to get creative. I have a feeling bobby pins are going to become some of my very good friends. I'll post pics every day or two on my facebook page in case other ponytail addicted moms want to see what I come up with. Check out that page at https://www.facebook.com/TweenyHairCommunity and feel free to post pictures of any styles you've done that might help me out!

Anyone else want to abandon ponytails with me???

Rae's Big Haircut for Locks of Love

I'm going to wander a bit from the tween styles and natural hair care issues this site normally features. Instead, I'm going to talk for just a few minutes about myself and another hair-related topic.

I got a haircut yesterday. But this was no ordinary haircut. This haircut resulted in this:

Those four ponytails measure 12 inches each and will be mailed to Locks of Love. Locks of Love is an organization that uses donated hair to create hairpieces for children who are suffering from hair loss due to a medical condition. I made a 13 inch donation a couple of years ago and decided that since my hair had gotten so long again, it was time for another major chop.

Before I headed out the door, my hair looked like this:

When I returned home, my hair looked like this:

I absolutely adore this new look, but I do believe I will be growing my hair out so that I can repeat this whole process again in a couple of years. My hair grows fast, and there are kids out there whose hair isn't growing at all. I can't think of one reason not to help my fast growing hair find a way onto the head where the hair won't grow.

I would also like to mention one more thing. Locks of Love requires a minimum donation of 10 inches of hair. If you have a little less length, but you're ready to donate,  there is another organization that might be for you. Pantene Beautiful Lengths accepts hair donations to make hairpieces for women who are fighting cancer and their minimum required length is 8 inches.

Another blogger mommy (and friend of mine) just donated her waist length hair, too. She is the author of the hair blog Girly and Curly. You should definitely go take a look at her new 'do, and be sure to check out the rest of her blog while you're there!