Do It Gorgeously: How to Make Less Toxic, Less Expensive, and More Beautiful Products (20 page)

3.
Cut a little longer in a line around the temples, ears, and down the back of the head. Repeat on the other side.

4.
If you can buy another 2 or 3 minutes, give your baby a few layers by anchoring a 2-inch section of hair between your index and middle fingers. Pull the section of hair until it’s straight. Holding your fingers at an angle, snip at an angle. You can pull up as many sections as you have time to before your little one has had enough.

For a Little Girl

HOW TO

1.
Give your little girl a mirror or set yourself in front of a mirror, as it’s fun for her to see what you’re doing. Place a sheet beneath her chair and a towel around her neck.

2.
If her hair isn’t wet, spritz with water to make sure it’s pretty damp all the way through.

3.
If she has bangs, begin trimming them. Take half a section of half the bang between your index and middle fingers, pull it straight, and snip off the ends (no more than ¼ inch or your child will never forgive you!).

4.
Gather your child’s hair into two large knots on top of her head and secure with clips.

5.
Pull down the first section of hair about ½ inch above the hairline and cut straight across. I start with one side, then continue around the back and the other side. This is where you determine the correct length, so make sure it’s right before continuing.

6.
Get your child to sit up straight, legs uncrossed, and pull down the two front pieces of her hair on either side of her face to see if they’re the same length.

7.
Draw the next section of hair (1½ inches above hairline) out of the topknots, and cut to the same length as the layer below. Continue until you have pulled all the hair out of the knots.

8.
Add a few layers for bounce by pulling 2-inch sections of hair away from the crown of the head, straight up toward the ceiling, between your index and middle fingers. Snip off the ends at an angle.

Making Shoes Last Longer

When I was little, getting a pair of new shoes was a huge treat and an adventure. I remember the excitement of having my feet measured and walking out of the store in a brand-new pair of shiny party or school shoes that I could show off to my friends. I’d love to say it’s the same with my daughter, but sadly, things have changed and her shoe shelf is crammed with flip-flops, tennis shoes, and sequined ballet slippers. Footwear clearly isn’t the extravagance it used to be. However, when I buy her a more expensive pair of fancy shoes, I teach her to take care of them by using the following techniques. She knows that if we take care of them, we can then hand them down to a smaller friend who may need them.

SOCK-STUFFING

As it’s hard to find good shoe trees for kids, I just ball up odd socks and stuff them into the toes of the shoes when Lola’s not wearing them.

Leather Protector

How annoying is it when you splurge and buy your child a pair of smart, expensive leather shoes, and after just one outing, they come back scuffed and scratched? It’s a great idea to apply this nontoxic leather protector as soon as you get the shoes out of the box. Keep in mind that regular leather and suede protectors contain chemicals that are toxic.