Wordless Wednesday: GLITTER BABY #WordlessWednesday
There’s nothing like a little GLITTER!
Shine!
Sparkle!
Add something fun and exciting to your wardrobe!
DIY Beauty Remedies To Do with your Tween Girl
DIY Beauty is a wonderful thing to be able to do with your tween girl. It’s a great bonding experience. There’s something very cool about being able to enjoy your home with a little pampering.
Here are some of my FAVE DIY Beauty tricks and tips for you that I was taught by my grandmother:
Do you want to get rid of those yucky pimples?
My grandmother taught my mom this and my mom taught me this: Take toothpaste and dab on overnight. Easy fix!
Do you want to get rid of those puffy, swollen eyes (hello moms!)?
I still do this on mornings when I have early meetings and I’ve been up all night with the boys. If you have some extra time in the morning to spare, grab some cucumber slices and place them on your eyes. Let them really set in and allow your eyes to be pampered. I usually sit for about 15-20 minutes.
Do you want EXTRA soft skin on your face?
My grandmother uses Vaseline on her face (petroleum jelly). You can also lather on your feet and pop some socks on overnight. When you wake up, your face and your feet will be soft as can be. My husband’s grandmother used to do this, too.
Do you have very rough skin on your elbows and knees?
My grandmother taught me to cut a lemon or an orange in half and literally squeeze on my elbows and knees. Very easy to do and fun — not to mention, it smells fabulous.
Tween Turning Point: Tweens and their moods
Emotions play a huge part in the land of the tween. If you haven’t embarked on this journey yet, you’ll be there soon. If you’re right smack in the middle of it, let me offer you a cyber-empathy hug. How can you battle with your tween when you know she doesn’t even understand what’s going on with her emotions, when she can’t even explain to you why she’s being so moody?
Why do tween emotions have to be so hard on everyone?
Here are some ways you can manage the moodiness when it seems like nothing will work, and I’d love to tell you that it won’t last forever, but unfortunately, it only gets worse when your daughter hits her teen years. I haven’t seen the light of day with my own kids, but with my own personal growth I’ve … Oh wait, I’m still moody!
Here’s what you can do to calm your own tween down when the moods and emotions get to be too much:
Give her space. Don’t hover, quit asking so many questions. Trust that she’ll share with you when she’s ready to talk to you.
Do a quick mental check – have you noticed any friendship issues or grades slipping? Has she changed her appearance or the music she listens to? If not, then there’s no need to intrude in her life. If there has been a noticeable change, then you can step in to ask what’s going on.
Suggest an early evening walk. She might open up to you if you’re walking side-by-side and not making direct eye contact.
Take her to one of her favorite places – go on a picnic, head to the beach or the mountains, or to a trail she likes to hike. Make a day of it and show her that she’s important and that you want to spend time with her.
Try yoga or meditation, or go swimming together. Any of these activities are great for clearing the mind, and if she’s feeling moody, they are great spirit-boosters!
Volunteer together. A sure-fire way to cure crabbiness.
Remind your daughter that you were once her age and that while you don’t know exactly what’s going on in her mind, you might understand how she’s feeling. Tell her you’re there to support her and love her no matter how she’s feeling, and encourage her to share her emotions with you. Hopefully she’ll open up to you and you can help to banish those blue moods!
Sunday Inspiration: Happy Father’s Day!
Today is a Day to thank, love and celebrate the important men in your life.
Happy Father’s Day to all the great mean out there!
We are in awe of you!
Fashion Friday: FPGirl Mother-Daughter Necklaces
When I was pregnant with my first child, I heard the expression – “When you have a child, it’s as though your heart is walking around outside of your body.” I didn’t fully understand the expression then, nor did I understand it when my kids were infants, toddlers or even preschoolers – you know, when it felt like they were with me every minute.
But… I feel it acutely and sometimes painfully now that they’re school-aged. When I put them on the bus, drop them at a play date, dance class or soccer game, I feel it. Anytime they leave my sight, I truly feel it. My heart is walking around outside my body. When they were babies and they got hurt, I was there to kiss the boo-boo’s and make it better. Now I can’t be there all the time and that’s OK, that’s part of parenting. It’s the only job you work at your life with the hopes of becoming mostly obsolete. That’s the gig and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
At the same time we are trying to let go, our girls are learning to be independent, and it’s an emotional push/pull with them. Alternating between “I need you” and “I can do it myself” with a speed that can sometimes makes your head spin. The truth is, they do need us, especially as they navigate difficult waters like standardized school testing, frenemies, school lock-downs and any number of seemingly endless things to be anxious about.
As a way to combat both of these scenarios, a couple of my wise momma friends have come up with a way to be there for their daughters’ when they can’t physically be there. Both have given them necklaces that remind them of their presence in their lives. One friend gave her daughter a locket with pictures of she and her husband inside. The other friend gave her daughter a necklace with 3 interlocking rings, each ring representing a member of their family. Both girls use these necklaces as touchstones, to remind them that their families love them and are there for them wherever they are.
My daughter and I share one necklace, we wear it on days that we know will be tough, when we will be apart and will be sad about it. When I had to miss my daughter’s school play this week because of work, she wore it to school and told me she would kiss the big heart before the play “to let me know it started.” Such a lovely way to send her off in the world – confident, happy and loved.
We loved the idea of a touchstone necklace so much, that we wanted to bring it to FPgirl. We designed our own version for moms and daughters, made of a circle with a heart shape cut out and the small heart on separate ring. A heart outside of a heart, just like the expression.
Buy it HERE for you and your daughter.
About the Author:
Alanna Mallon is the merchandise Designer at FPgirl.com. She’s responsible for designing all the great products that FPgirls love to make their own. She lives in Cambridge with her husband and 2 children.
Every month we have an amazing design contest going on and we LOVE to encourage your girls to enter!!
So what is June Design Contest all about!?
Here are the details:
It’s finally summer and it’s time for some Sun, Sand & Style! Just send us a drawing of your favorite summer outfit and you’re automatically entered to win any of our cool prizes! Who knows? Your design could even be chosen to become a REAL FPgirl design!!
How it Works:
Draw an awesome summer-themed outfit. You can create your illustration online, or sketch or paint your design offline!
Send us your fab design before June 30 (it can be a photo, scan, screenshot or mailed-in drawing)
On June 30 The FP Team will select the Top 10.
Check back on July 1st – 7th to VOTE on your favorite designs!
On July 8th, three winning designs will be chosen to win fun prizes!!
What You Could Win:
Three Lucky Finalists will win a $50 FPgirl gift card!
One Grand Prize Winner’s design will be sold in the FPgirl Design Studio and featured on FPgirl.com!
Have them Get Started:
Download The Printable Design Contest Form
Read the Official Contest Rules
Have them ENTER TODAY — SUBMIT THEIR DRAWINGS HERE!! It’s a fun kick-off to summer project if they’re already out of school!!
Wordless Wednesday: Bring on the Beach!
The sand, the surf, the sun? Who doesn’t love the beach and all it represents! Are you headed to the beach this summer – tell us what your plans entail!
