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Kids Natural Hairstyle: Wash and Go on Coily Type 4 Hair
- 12:33 pm
- 12 Comments
- by Adanna Dill
This weekend was fabulous! A good friend of mine got married on Saturday and of course we were happy to be part of their special day. When I was growing up, attending weddings was definitely the type of occasion that my mom would have my hair styled fabulously for. So, I wanted to The Princess Fairy to rock a gorgeous hair style. One of my goals is to raise her aware of the versatility and fabulousness of her natural hair. We’re both have type 4 natural hair, mine more of 4a while hers is more of a 4 B/C. My hair have thrived doing only wash and go styles, but I wasn’t sure how it work of her hair which is very fine and then to tangle much easier. She loves wearing her hair down so I knew this style would make her very happy. I was really happy that it turned out fabulous and she ended up receiving tons of compliments. It was so cool to see how beautiful she felt and her little face glowing with confidence when she looked in the mirror. Anyway, I wanted to share how I achieved this wash and go on coily type 4 hair:

1. First, I added Organic Coconut Oil to her hair and put a shower cap on her head for 15 minutes while she played with her dolls.
2. She washes her hair herself these days, so she got into the bathroom next to wash it. She’s quite independent and when we made the mutual decision that she would do it herself when she complain too many times about soap in her eyes and asked to do it herself with my supervision. I’m seriously amazed that she does such a good job at 4 years old. Anyway, she washed her hair with Pantene Pro-V Truly Natural Hair Co-Wash Conditioner.

3. After rinsing out the co-wash, we added her deep conditioner Every Strand Argan Oil Hydrate Hair Masque. I have raved about this conditioner for years and really love how shiny and defined it makes our hair. We left it in for 5 minutes and then rinsed it out with cold water. We always rinse with cold water to close the hair cuticle which reduces frizz while defining the curl pattern and locks in moisture.

4. Next, I got her out of the bathroom and distracted in front of the TV with My Little Pony while I gently detangled her hair using a Wide tooth comb. I detangled her hair in sections and use our favorite detangler Kinky-Curly Knot Today Leave In Conditioner/Detangler which works like magic melting away all tangles.

5. Once her hair was completely detangled, I divided it into a few sections. Breaking each section into smaller sections using Butterfly Clamps.

6. I opened each section and smoothed a grape size of EcoStyler Gel on her curls from root to tip. We were in a rush so I didn’t really get to work the sections as small as would have liked to create more definition. If you’re recreating this style, make sure to make the sections extremely small if you want the curls very defined if you want a big hair look skip getting too much definition.

7. As I smoothed the gels through her curls, I shake the ends a bit as I pulled my fingers through. This made the ends keep their natural curl. If you want to create a curl at the end you can also wrap the ends tightly around a fingers with a bit of gel just keep in mind that depending on the size of your curls and hair texture this may look “unnatural”.

8. As I worked my way through her hair, I kept her hair damp by spritzing with cold water from a Spray Bottle. You want to ensure that the hair remains damn or it will be frizzy when you apply the gel.

9. Once I worked the gel through all of her hair, I looked for curls that I missed and clumped curls together at the top by shingling them with my fingers.

10. Now the most challenging part of this wash and go was drying my daughter’s hair. We didn’t have a lot of time and my daughter didn’t want to sit below the hair dryer. We struck a compromise where she sat under the dryer for 20 minutes and then I finished drying her hair with a diffuser.

Now, I wanted to share that before drying her hair, the mix of the leave-in conditioner and gel was a bit whitish and I low-key panicked that there would be residue when it dried. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case but if you get a bit heavy handed with the gel that’s a possibility so please go easy!

We really loved the results! Her hair looked gorgeous and I love how her small springy curls framed her face. I’m so glad that she is embracing her curls and her natural beauty. It’s my goal to raise her with the understanding that her hair is filled with as many possibilities and beauty as her hair 🙂

I plan to experiment with more wash and go styles in her hair using different products and I’ll be sure to share that journey here on Rattles and Heels and on our Instagram page. Also, make sure you’re following my Natural Kids Pinterest board for natural hair care tips and hairstyle inspiration for from all over the internet 🙂

Rattles and Heels’s board Natural Hair: Kids on Pinterest.

Ever styled your child’s natural hair in a wash and go?
Family Travel, Sponsored
Is the JW Marriott Washington, DC family friendly?
- 10:25 pm
- 18 Comments
- by Adanna Dill
During our recent visit to Washington, D.C we were hosted by the JW Marriott Washington, DC. While planning, packing and even on the drive from NYC to DC one major question was on my mind. Is the JW Marriott Washington a family friendly hotel?

I got the answer to my question shortly after checking in and seeing my little ones faces light up when they saw our room. This hotel is definitely family friendly and I wanted to share all the fabulous reasons why the J.W Marriott Washington, DC is ideal for staying with kids:

The View

Let’s cut to the chase, the main treat of staying at JW Marriott Washington, DC is the picturesque view of Washington, D.C. When we got to our room, the first thing the kids did was run to the window and shout “WOW!”

It was refreshing to walk into our room at night and see all the lights of the city with the Washington Monument glowing in the distance. It’s definitely an experience you must have yourself.

I chatted with a few other guests at the hotel and they agreed that the view was just incredible. One family shared that they only stay at the JW Marriott Washington, DC when visiting D.C. because their kids really love the view.

My kids enjoyed staring out of the windows at the historical city that laid in front of us. I think my daughter will always remember sitting at the window learning about the history of the Washington Monument.

Actually, I suffered from major withdrawals after I left because I missed laying in bed staring at that beautiful view every night and morning.

Beautiful Modern Rooms

Prior to our visit, like any millennial mom I did a little online research and discovered that the hotel recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation. Yay!

Our room was chic and modern with plenty natural light. There was obviously lots of attention to details in designing the room which made it quite comfortable and spacious.

I particularly loved the bathroom which was bright and beautiful with granite counter tops and modern trimmings.

Location

The JW Marriott Washington, DC is located on Pennsylvania Avenue only a few blocks away from The White House. We were able to walk to the National Mall, the Smithsonian museums and everything that I mentioned that we did in my previous post of fun things to do with kids in D.C. There’s also shopping and restaurants in the immediate area.

Starbucks

It’s no secret that we LOVE Starbucks. So Starbucks at the hotel? Yes, please. It’s nice to wake up and take a quick ride down the elevator to Starbucks. No big deal, right? After venturing out with the kids, I grabbed my favorite Starbucks Refreshers™ drink to get enough energy to get through the evening.

Two On-Site Restaurants

There are two restaurants at the hotel; the Avenue Grill and the 1331 Lounge. We had dinner at the Avenue Grill during the second night of our stay. The food was amazing and we had the option of dining outside. The kids menu had organic offerings and balanced meals. I noticed many other families also dining there with children. They offered restaurant favorites for kids like crayons and coloring pages to keep kids busy.

Exceptional Service

The staff at JW Marriott Washington, DC went out of their way to make us feel at home and comfortable. They were very friendly and accommodating. After getting to our room and unpacking, I realized that I forgot my DSLR camera in the car. One of the hotel employees was nice enough to go down to the garage to the car and retrieve my camera. I was very grateful that I didn’t have to do that myself with two small children.

Indoor Pool

While we didn’t have the time to experience the pool ourselves other guests bragged on how kid friendly it was. My daughter was actually really bummed that we didn’t have the time to take a dip. We ended up missing the opening hours. If you’re visiting on business or just tired from all the sightseeing, it’s awesome to have a pool on premise to unwind in.

Valet Parking

When traveling with kids, nothing comes in handier than a hotel with valet parking. Not having to worry about parking gives you the ability to focus on enjoying your time with your family. One tip I would give you is to call valet 20 minutes ahead to get your car. We had to wait twice because I forgot to call ahead.

So these are all the fabulous reasons that the JW Marriott Washington is family friendly. If you decide to stay there when you visit Washington, D.C. make sure to tag me in your photos so I can enjoy the view through your lens.

You can book your stay and find out more about the hotel here. Also, if you’re a Marriott rewards member you can use your rewards to stay at the hotel, for free wi-fi and to mobile check-in.

This post was written in partnership with the JW Marriott Washington . However, all opinions expressed are my own.

What do you look for in a family-friendly hotel?
DIY, Motherhood, Sponsored
4 Must-Haves For Disney Descendants Slumber Party
- 9:52 am
- 2 Comments
- by Adanna Dill
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #Disney #VillainDescendants #CollectiveBias

It’s Friday and I am really excited because the kids and I are heading out of town. There’s nothing like getting away and just having some good old fun and adventure all while creating new memories. Talking about new memories, the kids had their very first slumber party during our last trip to Philly in our hotel room and they had so much fun that I thought it would be cool to make it a tradition and plan another one for this trip. Since we’re going to be super busy during the day, I thought snuggling up with each other watching a good movie in our jammies will be the perfect slumber party. The new Disney Descendants is our movie choice for the night, it’s new and I love that all the characters are all children of Disney Villains. We are especially excited about the character Lonnie who is the daughter of Mulan and Shang because she’s kind and loves to dance to hip hop just like us. So to ensure that our slumber party is a success, I have 4 must-haves for our Disney Descendants party and I wanted to share them with you.

1. DIY Magic Potion

I want the kids to have fun during our Disney Descendants slumber party and keep it lighthearted and inspiring. So I made these DIY magic potion bottles. They can use this magic potion to cast happy spells and make lives sparkle more brightly but no evil allowed 😉

To make my magic potion bottles, I simply added glitter, purple water paint and glycerin to a bottle. Shake it all up and you’re done. Just so everyone knows what it is and no one drinks it, I added a chalkboard label on the bottle.

2. DIY Mask

To add even more mystery around Disney Descendants party, I made masks that we can wear to watch the movie. These masks was very easy to make. I used a pre-cut mask that I purchased at a craft store.

Next, I added some Modge Podge to one side of the mask and then sprinkled glitter until the entire side was covered with glitter. Left it to dry for about one hour and it was done.

My daughter loves making these DIY masks so you can definitely get your kids involved in the process.

3. Secret Location

The kids are little and they don’t know much about the city we are heading off to so it makes it pretty easy for me to build their anticipation for their slumber party. I’ve been referring to our hotel as a “Secret Location” where we can view our movie away from the villains. You can make this fun at home by building a fortress or a tent.

4. Secret Entry Code.

Once you’ve decided on a secret location for your Disney Descendants slumber party, the next step is to create a secrecy code for entry. The code of entry for our slumber party is 12345 since it’s easy enough for the baby to remember 🙂

If you want to throw your own slumber party with your kids, you can catch Disney Descendants movie on the Disney channel or purchase the DVD at Walmart.

My kids and I are going to be listening to the official Disney Descendants soundtrack that I got at Walmart in the car during our road trip.

Have you seen Disney Descendants with your family yet?