Changing up the regular braid can be fun, you can do this with as many strands as you can handle. I have seen people do this with up to 8 strands of hair and it looks so cool. Just going to demonstrate the technique with 4 so I don’t confuse any one. This is the twist and cross method, there is also a weaving method which I wont go over here just because its a little harder to learn and this one looks about the same.

1. Brush all tangles out of hair. I like doing this with wet hair because I think its easier to hold onto the hair and I don’t have to worry as much about fly aways after.

2. Separate hair into 4 strands. From here on out they will be numbered according to which strand is in which place.

3. Take strand 4 and moving right to left cross over strand 3, strand 2 over strand 1. This is your first plate, with me so far? The closer to the head you hold your hair the tighter the braid will be.

4.  Cross  left to right strand 2 over strand 3.

5. Repeat 3 and 4 until you get the desired length braid you want.

This braid has a lot of different names like herringbone or fish bone, and of course the fishtail braid. Looks really cool and can be time consuming. But its pretty easy to do.

1. This done best with damp hair, helps with stray hairs and such.

2. Divide hair into two sections.

3. Pull a thick strand of hair from the outside of the right sections and add it to the left section.

4. Pull a thick strand of hair out from the outside the the left section and cross it over the other strand to the right section.

5. Repeat 3 and 4 until you reach the bottom or find a good stopping point. Secure with hair elastic.

Tip: The smaller the sections of hair you use the more intricate the final braid is. I use larger strands because i’m usually in a hurry and on a young child with little patience.

This is a really neat braid that looks like a piece of rope when done. This one is usually just done with 2 strands of hair but you can be done with 3 or more for  a more intricate look.

1. Start with damp combed hair. Pull into a ponytail and secure with hair elastic.

2. Separate ponytail into two or three equal sections.

3. With the farthest right piece of hair in your right hand start twisting strand several times, then cross all the way over the other section/s.

4. Repeat step 3 until the braid is the length you want and finish off with an hair elastic.

3 Strand Rope Braid Picture

One of the things I like to do on my girls birthdays is break out the Crayola Sidewalk Chalk and draw pictures on the side walk. We use each individual sidewalk square for a giant size birthday message. One year we did this for my husbands birthday and he thought it was totally cheesy but fun, so I carried it a little further and did it for our wedding anniversary that summer. The girls and I had a great time drawing on the sidewalk plus it shows the person that you are doing it for just how much you care.

This year big sister and I did it for my 2 year olds’ birthday(just a few days ago), carried the stuff back inside to find the camera so we could take a picture of it for the memory book. When we got back inside my little one was eating the Crayola Sidewalk Chalk. Opps, forgot to put those up. At least they are non toxic, just made for a few interesting diaper changes.

I am addicted to scrapbook supplies. They say admiting something is the first step to recovery, right?
I love scrapbook supplies!! There are so many cool things out right now that didn’t exist when I first started scrap-booking years and years ago. My all time favorite tool is the Crop-A-Dile Eyelet & Snap Punch (shown above). Pretty sure that I could not live without it. My favorite thing to do with it, is make faux eyelet lace with it and use it as a border on my pages.

A Dutch braid is very much like a French Braid, instead of being smooth with the other hair its sets on top of the other hair. I think this is also all called and inside out French braid.I did this on my 3 year old so its a little hard to tell in the picture above. Hair bow made by me

1. Brush or comb out all the tangles. I like to do this with slightly damp hair to help with fly aways.

2. Decide where you want your braid to start. Gather up a section of hair and divide into 3 sections like you were going to do a French Braid.

3. Go ahead and make your first plait by crossing the right section over the middle and then left over middle.

4. You can use a rat comb or like me just use your fingers to gather a small section of hair going from the left side of the head extending from the hair line in towards the braid and add it to your right section of hair.

4.5 To make this a little easier your going to do half of your next plait, right over middle

5. Gather your next section of hair from the right side of the head and add it to your left strand, and complete the plait with left over middle.

5. Continue doing numbers 4-5 until you get the desired length braid or you run out of hair. Use elastic to hold it all together. This isn’t my best example of this braid, my wiggly 3 year old made this very tricky should have used by older daughter instead.

This is a very intricate braid and you should know how to do a French braid first. See my instructions on French braiding for guidelines. If you’ve never done a fish tail braid, see the fish tail braid instructions first and practice on a pony tail to get the general idea of how this is going to work.

1. For fine hair I suggest either running some hair goo through it or spraying it with some hairspray first then a gentle comb through.

2. Beginning at the hairline choose a central point and divide it into two even sections. Comb to remove any tangles from both sections.

3. Cross the right section over the left pulling the sections away from each other to help tighten the braid.

4. Lift small section of hair from the left section hairline to the middle of your braid. Add the new strand of hair to the right section and cross it over to the right section, tighten the braid as you go.

5. Lift small section of hair from the right section hairline to the middle of the braid and add the new strand of hair the the left section and cross it over to the left section, and tighten.

6. Continue doing 4 and 5 until your braid is as long as you want. Secure with hair elastic.

Tip: If you want a more intricate look, and have some time on your hands use thinner strands.

This is just the most basic hair braid Instructions. If you can do a basic braid you can learn the french braid or herringbone braid so much easier. This one is also known as the English braid.

Basic Braid Instructions:

You can work with either dry or wet hair. I personally prefer doing this on wet hair because it tends to be easier to work with. I keep a spray bottle with water in it and hair comb close by.

Tip: if this is your first time braiding hair, pulling it into a ponytail might make it easier to learn )

1. Divide the hair or ponytail into three even sections.

2. Take the right-hand section and bring it across over the center section you can pull it tight or keep it loose depending on the look you want.

3. Now take the far most left section of hair and bring it across the center section.

4. Continue right over middle, left over middle until you either reach the end of the hair or to desired stopping point. Secure with an  elastic ponytail holder.

I hate laundry!!! I really do.  I know i’m not the only one to think that so I decided to share my ideas on how to cope with it. If it helps you, you can thank me later

1. All dirty things must be carried to the laundry everyday, no ifs, ands, or buts.

2. Wash and dry one load everyday.

3. Everyone in the family gets an assigned clothes basket.

4. As clothes are being taken out of the dryer they are immediately separated and put into each individuals baskets. ( I choose not to fold clothes until they are actually being put into dressers or being hung up).

5. Sheets are washed the first day of the month and the 15th and as needed. Those are the only days I do more than one load of laundry.

6. Towels are the only thing I fold and put away every day, but I only make myself fold and put away 4 towels (one for each person in the household)

7. Everyone has an assigned laundry put away day. My youngest and I are on Monday, my husband and older daughter have Friday.

8. Anyone 4 years or older can put away their own clothes. All I do is carry the clothes basket to their dresser.

I like this laundry schedule, my laundry is almost always done.

My daughter will be 3 this Sunday and can’t have eggs in her birthday cake, because of food allergies. Eggs are what make the cake fluffy, and help the other ingredients stick together. Heres a recipe that is equally as good without eggs.

Egg Free Chocolate Cake Recipe

Things you will need:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tbsp. white distilled vinegar
1 cup cold water

How to make it:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix. Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix  just until combined.
3. Pour into a lightly oiled 9-inch cake pan and cook for 30 minutes, or until sticking a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

This is my moms recipe, and I love it.

Heavenly Chocolate Frosting Recipe

Can be used as filling too

What you need:

1/2 cup butter  (you can also use 1 cup of butter flavored shortening to make this dairy free)
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk or milk substitute to make this dairy free)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt butter and place into a mixing bowl, begin mixing on medium, add cocoa, add powdered sugar, pour in milk, add vanilla extract, continue mixing on medium until creamy and spread able, add more milk if necessary.

OR if you want to decorate a cute cake

White Buttercream Frosting Recipe

What you will need:

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
2 tablespoons milk

About 3 cups of icing

How to make it:

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.

For Pure White Icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and add 1/2 teaspoon No-Color Butter Flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes.