Easy Long Hairstyles for Busy Moms

I know I'm not the only busy mom perusing Pinterest for easy hairstyles. The problem is...there are so many tutorials and articles promising an easy and beautiful hairstyle. I've tried so many of them I can't even begin to tell you about all the hairdo fails. I'll see one that looks soooooo simple and then 243 bobby pins later I'm thinking, "Ummm, I wouldn't call that easy. " 

Pinterest Hairstyles for Long Haired Moms that Actually Work:

So after a thorough search, these are the ones that I've found that actually work and are very simple to do. I mean VERY simple. Like - kid is crawling around at your feet and you have about 2 minutes before he finds the bathroom trash can kind of simple. 

That being said, these are not drop dead gorgeous makeovers I'm talking about here. For that, you need more bobby pins than I'm willing to stab in my head. However these are good enough so that if someone pops up at your door, you have something besides the "messy-bun" to turn to in order to look put together. Nothing wrong with the "messy-bun" by the way - it's a lifesaver for many of us non-morning folk (read yours truly). 

 

Another life saving hairdo for busy moms is the ponytail. This is true for medium and long hairs gals. But there are a few things you can do to make the ponytail look less gym-bound and more -I'm heading to the cafe for a quick bite with girlfriends (ha, riiight). 

Let's start off with the easiest of them all: 

1. The Longer Ponytail 

All you need to do is pull the top half if your hair into a ponytail and then put the bottom half in another one. I'm not going to call this an illusion because if you have straight hair like me, it's very obvious from the sides what you're doing. But it looks cool anyway. It's very Eva Mendez to me. 

If you have curly, bushy, super thick, or wavy hair, you might be able to pull this off as an illusion. Or if you have the time - back comb or use beachy texture spray to make it a thicker tail. 

2. Knotty Pony

This is another super quick 'do. All you do is split your hair into two parts, knot, and finish with an elastic. Warning: this doesn't work well with hair that is heavily layered because all the strands start popping out. However, you  could go that route on purpose. Either way, I'd add hairspray if your hair is straight to help it stay put. This works best with not-so-clean hair. On a personal note, I like to do this one but add a little bump on the top with a little clasp to keep it from looking so flat because my hair is very straight. 

3. Double (or Triple) Topsy Tail

If you've ever done a Topsy tail then this will be super easy. Topsy tails are basically a ponytail that did a flip. You make a hole above the elastic holding your ponytail and then flip the tail through the hole. In this version, you're just making multiple Topsy tails. Simple as that. Divide your hair into two or three sections, complete a Topsy tail, then make another Topsy tail using the tail you just flipped plus the next section. Make it smooth or boho messy. 

4. Twisty Bun

This one works because it looks so good messy. Which means it's good for medium or long hair and all hair types. Make pig tails. Twist. Pin to opposite pig tail. Done. The closer together your pig tails are, the more of a "bun" look you'll have. But separating them allows you to see the twists better, so it looks more fancy and complicated than it really is. 

5. Gibson Tuck

This one works but I only think it looks cool if you add an accessory to it because otherwise it looks very plain and homely. Pretend you're going to do a low Topsy tail. Instead of pulling the tail through, you just tuck it all into the hair above the elastic and pin it there. That's why this one is number 5, it actually requires some pinning. But hey, it lasts a day of chasing a kid around the house so it's an option. Plus it gives me a reason to wear an accessory and that always makes me feel pretty. 

Let me know how these worked for you, and if you have some I should be doing as well. I'm always looking for new ways to do the 'do. 

Bilingual Children's Storybooks

I've mentioned before that my Spanish is only so-so. However, hubs and I are determined that our little one is going to be bilingual. We have friends that've done it, so why can't we? I've been doing some research on the subject for .. Oh I dunno .. A few years? And I keep finding that successful bilingual families have had each parent speak to the children in one language. So hubby would speak Spanish most of the time and I would use English. 

Some say we should speak Spanish at home and let school teach him English. As a teacher, I know that's the lazy way out. Plus, I know that it leaves the children far behind where they need to be when it comes to literacy. So I hope to use both languages at home. 

However, I'm going to need to practice my pronunciation as much as possible. I found that reading aloud to my little man in Spanish really helps. 

I asked for books from everyone that came to my baby shower instead of cards. One book we received was a bilingual version of The Little Red Riding Hood. The pages are in both English and Spanish. Love. It. So. Much. Not only do I get to practice pronunciation, but he gets to hear both languages. I'm planning on getting a bunch more!

Watching the Game Out Vs. Hosting at Home

Sooooooooo.... Soccer or Futbol? I'm assuming my son will call it appropriately depending on who he's talking to. Colombia and the USA both made it to the World Cup, in case you weren't following along, and I was surprised how far the USA went this time. It was great watching the games with lots of people. I think that makes all the difference. Is it worth it to find a spot to watch the games with a crowd? 

There are some pros and cons to watching it at home with friends vs. going out to watch it. 

Going out to watch games vs. Staying in and hosting friends

Going out Pros:

1. You only have to buy food and drink for yourself (if you want). Depending on where you go, this can turn out to be either cheaper or more expensive than hosting it yourself. 

2. You don't have to clean up after anyone. 

3. If it's last minute, you don't have to get your house ready for guests. 

4. The crowd makes everything more exciting!

5. Sometimes the food and beer is better than staying in and having the usual selection. Unless you're into grilling and all that jazz. Not me. Nope. Not when I'm watching something!

Going out Cons:

1. You need to get there super early in order to find a decent table. Sometimes this means you need to get there during lunch when the game is during dinner, which will increase your tab quite a bit. 

2. Depending on the place, the sound and picture quality might be lacking compared to your amazing home theatre. Some bars are really fun, but the screens are tiny. Or if you're late, good luck getting a good spot to sit or stand for hours. 

3. It can be hard to find a place that is kid friendly, which leads to the next con...

4. Do you need a sitter for your kids or can they come along?

5. If you want to watch the broadcast in a certain language you may have to do some research to find the right place or suck it up and watch soccer in boring English. Eeeeks. 

6. If you have to sit outside...is the weather suitable? A/C? Heat?

Staying in and Hosting Pros:

1. You know you're going to be comfortable. No rushing or fighting for seating. 

2. You can record the game, pause, replay, etc. This is especially handy for people who can't get off work when they wanted to. 

3. Kids can stay home with you and be entertained with their own toys. Just the fact that the floor is clean is a huge help!

4. The event can be more personal and intimate if you want it that way. 

5. All the other things mentioned above in going out cons: heating or cooling, language preference, your awesome home theatre, etc. 

Staying in and Hosting Cons:

1. Unless you get people to bring food, providing snacks can get pricey. 

2. You need to get your house ready for guests, vs.  just leaving. 

3. You have to clean up after others. 

4. Hosting often means your attention is paid to your guests and not the game. 

5. It's often less exciting than being with tons of people all screaming and celebrating together. 

6. It's not over until your guests leave, vs. when you're out you can head home whenever you're ready. 

I think it really depends on your friends and if you feel like having people over at your house. Otherwise it just takes a little planning. For us, the hardest part is always getting to the place early enough if the game is during a weekday. Our little guy was a total champ during the World Cup games. But sometimes I worried he was getting a little overheated, so we got him a little battery powered hand-held fan.  

My suggestion is to always watch the big games with lots of people. It's exciting!! We went down to Miami to watch the Colombia vs. Greece game. We went to a little restaurant/bar that became overflowing with people. It was so crowded, hot, the tv was tiny, but it was absolutely wonderful because of the comradery of the Colombians!