Reader Photos and H.o.M. Reminder

* Important Note: Don't forget to enter our November's "Hairdoer of the Month" contest! The winning entry will be posted on Saturday, November 7th... that is only two days away! Click the link to see submission guidelines! This has been a fun idea for the site and we want to see more of your cute do's! Show us what you've got!!!

From time to time I like to peruse through all of your reader-submitted photos and gawk at your cute girls with super cute do's! I recognized this morning that I have quite a few to post! Here's a big thank you credit to Kelly, Lana, Annie, Janelle, Vickie, Marlowe, Karla, Noel, Sherrie, Sarah, Debbie, Shawn, Marah, and Leora!




Many of these do's are from what we have posted here, but there are many of them that are your own creations! Look at all that innovation! Give a shout back and let us know what you think!!!

Again, don't forget about November's Hairdoer of the Month contest!

Adopt a 'Do - Carved Pumpkin 2009

In honor of Adopt a 'Do - Cute Girls Hairstyles, my hubby and girls decided to carve a pumpkin for Halloween of a super cute little girl with pigtails! It wasn't the best photo because we took the picture this morning and my camera was wigging out with the awkward lighting. (Ever try to take a picture of a lit Jack-O-Lantern???)

Items Needed: Pumpkin, marker, stencil, poking pin, knife. (Power tools at husband's insistence, drill and Dremel.)
Time Requirement: 5 long hours.

At any rate, you may recognize this little girl... if you guessed Boo from Monsters, Inc., you were right! How does it look? I think they did a great job, although it did take five hours to carve! (To see a close-up, go ahead and click the picture!) Crazy how real it looks, eh? Just in case you did not believe this is our pumpkin, I took the following photos in the daylight...


In the light, it really looks like a mess... but put in a lit candle and turn off the lights and magic happens!

Also, Don't forget to enter our November's Hairdoer of the Month contest. The winning entry will be posted on November 7th...click the link to see submission guidelines! This has been a fun idea for the site and we want to see more of your cute do's! Show us what you've got!!!

Happy Halloween!

Video Tutorial: Lauren Conrad French Front

Okay, now this one is an easy one and everyone is seeing this hairstyle made famous by Lauren Conrad from the O.C. on the WB. (I even saw a few variations the other night on Dancing with the Stars.)

Items Needed: One rubber band (preferably small and clear), and a couple bobby pins.
Time Requirement: 5 minutes.

There are likely 101 ways to do this braid... pinching off with a rubber band just after the French right above the ear, braiding through as I have done (with a bobby pin tuck), tucking the braid behind the ear, etc. It all is a matter of preference and hair length. Try each out and see which works best for you.



Many of you may think that this was too simple or common of a hairdo to post here, however this was a special request from Samantha (a fan of the site who is only 12 years old). Sam, this one's for you!

Thanks ,everyone!

Adoption Situations...

This is a photo of our little guy from Heart 2 Heart adoptions. He's now 15 months old!!! Crazy how fast they grow!


If any of you are homestudy ready and have been waiting around for awhile to adopt in other agencies, H2H has four available situations. We were homestudy ready and received our little guy in only two weeks! If you have any questions, please call Kathy, Cindi, Lisa, or Rachel at 1-866-691-1562.

Situation 1 (B)
AA Boy
Due December 10th in Utah
Fees are $16,000 + Full Medical (6k-8k)
Please call for more information

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Situation 2 (DR)
AA Unknown
Due November 10th in Utah
Fees are $16,000 + Full Medical (6k-8k)
Please call for more information

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Situation 3 (S)
AA Unknown
Due November 24th in Utah
Fees are $24,500 + Full Medical (10k-12k)
Please call for more information

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Situation 4 (SC)
1/2 CC 1/2 AA Boy
Due November 20th in Missouri
Fees are $ 24,500 + $4,000 Legal
Please call Kim for more information
801-792-9247

Video Tutorial: Flat-Iron Curls

Here is a very quick and easy way to make hair look elegant in the mornings when the hair is kind of in that "blah" stage. It is very simple to do and all you need is a skinny flat iron to do it.

I have found that it is too difficult and time consuming at times to run both a flat iron to straighten the hair (to stage curls) and then a curling iron or 3-barrel right after. Did you know that you can use a flat iron to do both??? Yes, a flat iron can curl and you do not have to straighten the hair to do it!!! Here is how...



What I love about this tip is that these simple curls can be added to many hairdo's and haircut styles! You can combine them with twists or buns on the top, or a French Braid in the bangs, etc, (I used the two Topsy flip-unders on my DD in the video) . You will notice that the elegant curls add volume to the hair when I simply do not have time to straighten or curl all of it. Let me know if you thought this was useful...

Nice and easy!



PS~ Don't forget to enter our November's Hairdoer of the Month contest. The winning entry will be posted on November 7th...click the link to see submission guidelines! This has been a fun idea for the site and we want to see more of your cute do's!

Email from a Dad...

Over 99% of the visitors to this site are women (moms, grandmas, sisters, aunts, little girls, etc), but there is a very small minority of visitors who are fathers! Yes, FATHERS who for whatever reasons take it upon themselves to help their little daughters feel beautiful each day!

I received this email from one great dad yesterday that left a smile on my face. Here is what he says...
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Hello Mindy,

Awesome site..THANX!

I have morning duties with my 7 yr old daughter & I struggled to find different "do's" on a day to day. We looked for new styles online & POOF there u were...I would like to take this time to say great job by your children to sit while hair is being done (probably drives them CooCoo!!!)...lol

I have a few pics of new do's & would love to share! Not only do you help MOMS but..... spread the word..You held DADS also!!

Donny

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So, to anyone who thinks it is really awesome for Donny to take on hair duties in the morning... please feel free to give him a shout out here! Also, if your husband helps with hairdoing, or if you are another dad like Donny who does hair, please also let us know here!

Take care,

Halloween Hairstyles: Spider Web w/ Messy Pull Through

After our "Adopt a 'D0 - Cute Girls Hairstyles Review Board" (my four beautiful DD's... ages 9, 9, 6, and 4) viewed all of October's "Hairdoer of the Month" entries, the girls chose this style due to the Halloween season! There were so many beautiful hairdo's submitted, it was hard to choose! All other entries will be rolled over to next month, so keep them coming!

Congratulations to Marilyn and her daughter on being October's Hairdoer of the Month!!! Feel free to stop by her blog and congratulate her!

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Spider Web with Simple Messy Pull Through

Time Requirement: 20 min. This does take a little more time. I probably wouldn't do it for a school day morning, but very fun for a Halloween party.

Items Needed: 14 mini hair ties and 2 large hair ties.

Begin by brushing your DD's damp hair back straight until smooth. Then begin sectioning off the top of her hair in four sections, secure each with a mini hair tie. I chose orange for Halloween. I think it makes it a little easier if you tie the bottom portion of your DD's hair back during this part...


Then continue down the left side of her head and do three more sections. Securing those the same way...


This part is a little confusing to describe so check out the photo for better explanation. Brush the remaining hair down again and starting from the left side follow the part down from the top left hair tie section, and make a new section at the base of your DD's neck. Twist the first hair tied section, and add it to the new section at the bottom and secure with another small tie...


Continue doing the same thing with the other three sections, and leave one last section on the right side of her head loose for the next part...


Now go back over to the far left side of your DD's hair and twist the top side section of hair and then weave it in and out across the back of her head through the vertical sections, and attach with another hair tie on her right side with a section of the hair left out...


Continue doing the same thing with the other two sections weaving them in and out oppositely like weaving a basket (or a web), and secure with two more ties...


After all the hair is secured simply twist the bottom hair out adding piece to piece until they are all together, and do the same thing down on the right side, and secure them all together with a large tie. The picture above is a close up of the twist...


You can turn it into a pony tail or, what I did was on the last twist of the hair tie I only brought the hair half way through and let the ends hang over. Then secure it one more time with another hair tie to keep it tight. Spike up the ends, hair spray and add a fun halloween hair clip. I did not have any halloween clips, but I am definitely going to make one now to go with this. I think it would be really cute with a spider attached to it...




My DD's and I had fun doing this, and even if you don't pick ours we enjoyed spending the time together any way! You can always check out our family blog at http://www.thetibbittsfam.blogspot.com/!

Thanks for all the things you do. You have inspired me on many a hair day crisis, and we have come out of them looking happy and beautiful!!

Thank you,

Marilyn

Guest "Hairdoer of the Month"...

How would you like to be a featured "Hairdoer of the Month" here at Adopt a 'D0 - Cute Girls Hairstyles???

Each month, I will select one hairdo tutorial submission from my mailbox to be featured on this site. Be assured, your hairdo will be seen by many, many moms and little girls all over the world! This can be your DD's first chance at a month of fame! How exciting is that? Plus, if you are chosen, you will automatically receive 20 entries into our next giveaway (coming soon)!

Rules for Submission:

1.) Submit the hairdo via email (in my right sidebar) in MS Word format. Please do be mindful of file size!

2.) Come up with your own creative name for the hairdo, and provide a 2-3 sentence introduction about you and a link to your blog (if public).

3.) Similar to my posting format, all hair tutorials must include "Time Requirement" and "Items Needed" details.

4.) Please include detailed step-by-step instructions and a photo for each step (in an easy-to-follow format), as well as an "After" photo. Be sure to include accessories if you would like.

5.) Create your own hairdo, but if you use a variation of a hairdo (with your own twist) from any other hairblog... please be sure to provide a direct URL reference to it in your instructions.

6.) Because we post original content, you must grant Adopt a 'Do written authorization to use your photos online (we will not alter them) and the language submitted must not be published online elsewhere.

Each of your fabulous feature hairdos will be reviewed and selected by our extremely competent Adopt a 'D0 - Cute Girls Hairstyles Review Board (my four beautiful DD's... ages 9, 9, 6, and 4)! So... get creative and start writing! I know many of you may have quite a bit of extra time at home this weekend! *wink, wink*

The winning hairdo's will be featured on the 7th of each month! We are excited to see what you come up with! Let's see what you've got!

Video Tutorial: "Fall-Through" French Braid

This is a very beautiful and elegant variation of a French Braid that is perfect for moms, teens, tweens, and little girls! (If you cannot tell, I use French Braiding a lot in many of my hairdos.) I have seen this style, or variations of it, all over the place, including Dancing With the Stars.

This is also a style that is very tough to teach via photos, unless I wanted to post 20-25 pictures enough to demonstrate the exact technique. I thought a video tutorial would be more helpful, so you will have to let me know how you like it. (I would recommend not accessorizing this hairdo, but you may opt for a ponytail in the back if your DD is going to be active that day. That is what I did when my DD had a soccer game on Saturday!)

This "Fall-Through" or Curtain/Waterfall French Braid took me less than three minutes to complete after I had straightened my DD's hair! You will get plenty of compliments on this one!
Enjoy!!!

Tips & Tricks #12: Air or Blow Dry?

Several readers have commented on the shine in my girls' hair and asked if I air dry or blow dry their hair. It depends. I do both, although one more than the other...

Air Drying: The vast majority of the time, I air dry my girls' hair. We wash their hair at night so that it has plenty of time to dry. When drying, it is important to blot the hair with a towel after washing (rather than rubbing the entire head) as it removes excess water without damage to the cuticles or causing split ends. You may also choose to wrap your DD's hair with the towel and gently press with both hands on all areas of the head. After shampooing, conditioner, and towel blotting, then I use a spray-on leave-in detangler to make it easy to comb through and to promote healthy cuticles and shine. The next morning, with a gentle spritz of the spray bottle, I am ready to do the hairdo!

Blow Drying: It is important to still blot as much water out of the hair before using the hair dryer. (If not, then you will be drying for much longer... and the extended period of heat can damage the hair.) Then have your DD bend over with her hair hanging down and start at the scalp/roots and work your way down, being sure that the dryer is at least six inches from the hair at all times. Blow dry the hair until lightly damp, then proceed to do the hairdo. The small amount of moisture helps quite a bit in doing the do. (If you plan on using any type of curling iron, flat iron, crimper, 3-barrel, etc, you will want to be sure the hair is completely dry first.)

Super Helpful Tip: If you choose to blow dry, be sure to finish off with a cool blast of air as it closes the cuticles and provides a healthy shine.

Honestly, either option is up to you. Every person is different and certain types of hair react differently. Find what works for you and go with it!