Best Headbands for Girls - BANI BANDS REVIEW - Headbands that STAY PUT

To say that I have a lot of headbands in my house is an understatement. I recently took a picture of them. These are only the ones that I could find. They are everywhere. Under beds, in the bathroom, living room, basement, car, backpacks. I have two kids that wear them. Both do not have bangs anymore. One child looks like Kurt Cobain. No joke. I wish I could have found the one picture that I took with my cell phone a while ago. She has stringy, curly, unruly hair that cannot be tamed. It's insane. Now if you know me, you know I have short straight hair. And when its not short, it's long and in a ponytail. Never ever down. Oh and I have bangs. Have always had them. One time I went without bangs. Not a good idea. My mom reminds me all the time of when "remember you tried to not have bangs". Yeah. Epic fail.

This is a bucket full of really bad headbands and clips. When I had my first child, with every outfit from Gymboree I bought those curly clips. You know which ones I'm talking about. The one's that have the curly ribbon that look like wrapping paper ribbon. I know you have some in your house. They come in packs of four I think. The clips have bumpie things on the other side. Horrible. How did I NOT know this when I bought them. They were super cute. I bet I have tons of pictures of those. They don't stay put. They just annoy me. I would throw them out however they are like gold-mines. I have spent a fortune on clips that don't work. Now for clips, I have discovered "No Slippy Hair Clippy" at hairclippy.com. They are a little more expensive but I guarantee they will stay in place.

Today though, I want to talk about my new find. A friend of mine told me about BANI BANDS. As a mom of three little girls with insane hair, I have to tell you that I have tried them... and I love them. We have about 25+ of them. This company was founded by a woman who is very athletic and could not find a solution to the "oh my gosh, my hair is in my face and I can't see straight". I have that problem. When I run, I have to have a good hairband. I have been known to demand that my husband go back to the house after we are on our way out of town because I don't have a hairband or a good hair tye. These things DON'T MOVE. I went to our local running store (which does not stock these) and tried their brand. NOT the same. Mine stretched out within a month. Here is a picture of my latest shipment from BANI BANDS.

Now as you can see, I got the MOFO shipment of BANI BANDS. Well, that's because they were having an awesome $5 sale. The founder is former military so check their facebook page for sales during the holidays. I believe this one was for either Fourth of July or Memorial Day. She is an avid volleyball player and has lots of sport options to pick from. There are skinny bands, regular bands, and fat bands (my fav). The sequin ones are super fun for kids. I know they come out with all different kinds. The owner is very nice so feel free to contact her and her staff. Never had a problem.  The bottom of the bands are made from almost velvet... they are NO SKID. These were all $5 on sale, the one on the far left is a premium one, it's thicker. I love that one. That's for me.

Now... onto the reason why I buy these. My girls. Kurt Cobain lives in my house. She is 6. She had curly locks of hair as a child and have migrated to some sort of wavy mess of a hat head. She LOVES these headbands. Every day, she picks out a new one. We bought the sequin ones for the first day of school... the soccer one for soccer. And the zebra one just because. I believe these all retail at around $12 but again, watch for sales. What's awesome about these bands which the ones that look like them DON'T HAVE, is the adjustable band. My head is obviously bigger than A's head... so for her, I use the slide adjuster and move it to a small adjustment and for my big-ass noggin' it goes up. For my middle bean, well I have to kick that into "really friggin small head" gear. She is 4 and just able to wear them. I keep a secret stash for just me because these kids take my stuff. By the way, DO NOT put the sequin ones in the dryer. Not a good idea.

Here is a picture of the first day of school. I rarely put pictures of A on my blog but since she's famous on Facebook, here you go. She loves these bands!!!

Kid tested. Mom approved. Bani Bands. Oh and they usually have a sale section too! SCORE!!!!

BANI BANDS

If you are overwhelmed with hair clips, headbands, bows, check these out. Great option for older kids. They are easy for them to put on by themselves. Great customer service.

Go Bani Bands.

Happy Baby Thoughts :)
R

A Good Reminder..... Pay Attention

These days we are all caught up with our daily lives, our children get overlooked. We tell them to hold on... to wait... that we will be there in a minute. Truthfully, they are only young for a little bit. Pretty soon they won't want us around. I'm totally guilty of ignoring my children on some dates. I have to make a phone call or pay a bill or talk to a grown up. Frankly, I'm pretty sure those things can wait. What we need to remember is to spend time with our children. I read this today and thought I would share. Make time for your kids because pretty soon, they won't be children any more.

"I’ve decided I don’t want my children to grow up without the loving hellos. I vow to let go of my distractions long enough to cause a 'Sun Delay,' meaning:

No matter what I am in the middle of doing,

No matter how inconvenient it is to look up,

No matter how 'busy' I think I am,

When my children walk in the room,

When my children hop in the car,

When my children and I are reunited after a separation,

The world is going to stop for a moment,

And when it does,

I will shine my love into their eyes and into their hearts

So my children see and feel how much I love them."

© Rachel Macy Stafford 2013

In the rush of our busy lives and the abundance of distraction, sometimes the loving hellos and goodbyes get lost. Let us remember their importance today. Our loved ones' joyful faces have the power to remind us how much these gestures matter. 

Back to School Shopping - Reviews of Best Lunch Box / Bento Box containers

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN!!!! BACK TO SCHOOL!!!!!

At our elementary school, we have something called Boo-Hoo Yahoo at our first day of school. Some parents are saying "boohoo my kids are going back to school" but for me, this year, I'm falling into the YAHOO category. With three beans who are 6 and under, I can't wait for the kids to go back. Oldest goes back to First Grade.... middle bean goes to 4k - FIVE DAYS A WEEK!!!!!... and the baby bean will be going to a Mother's Day Out  program which is two days a week until mid afternoon. I cannot explain to anyone how much this means to me.

Summer is exhausting. I'm tired. ALL THE TIME. I see on Facebook lots of mom rejoicing that school is out and their kids will be home ALL THE TIME, but I guess I'm just not there yet. I'm not at that point where having my kids with me 100% and being hot and sweaty and tired and smelly is fun for me. I am however looking forward to getting everyone all set for their first day of school.

I have one child who eats everything in sight (the 6 year old) and the other child who literally eats nothing. The oldest one will be served the finest public education food this side of the Mississippi but unfortunately the 4 year old has to take her lunch. Do you like packing lunch for your kids? I really dislike it. I keep forgetting. I need to remember to make it the night before and sometimes I'm totally worn that I forget and wake up in the middle of the night to do it.

A friend of mine found these things called LAPTOP LUNCHES. What a great idea. I find is helpful for picky eaters because they are Bento Box - like lunch boxes. You take a few things and place them in the boxes. Middle bean won't eat sandwiches so these are perfect for her. Cut up protein, fruit, crackers, cheese. It even have a place to put a water bottle. I used to pack milk with the lunches but I find that the kids drink the water more and that is fine with me.

This is the unit that we have. We have two of them. A purple and a blue one. They have lasted over 2 years so I'm pretty happy about that. Get ready to pay out the nose though. This unit cost me about $50. I checked on their website and this one is priced at $39.95 without the water bottle. I'm pretty sure that they have re-vamped their inventory because mine came with one and it fit right in the insulated carry bag. By the way, your kid will LOVE this. It looks like a little computer.

Now having said how much I love this system, a friend of mine told me about another system which looks a little cooler. But it may serve a different purpose. This Laptop Lunch holds a lot of food. Here is the PLANETBOX.

Now since I already have two laptop lunches, I think I would probably invest in the little one. My 18 month old is going to Mother's Day Out and it would be perfect for her little lunch. It retails for $39.95 with the bag, $5 less without. If you think it's pretty expensive, just think of how long their will last.

This system comes in three sizes/prices. The Launch $50-$75, the Rover $40-$60 and the Shuttle (seen here) from $35-$40. Also, I believe you can get the larger ones at PotteryBarnKids.

So what will you use at your kids lunch box? I really do like these systems. The only thing with the BentoBox from Laptop Lunches is all the compartments. My cabinet has TONS of them and they are kind of annoying. They hold up very well in the wash.

Finally - there is an option for LunchBot. It's my third option for quality divided food containers. I am planning on ordering one for my daughter so when I do, I'll update the blog with a post.

Good Luck at Back to School!!!

:)R