
For all you ponytail addicts out there, this one's for you.
Ah, the ponytail. Personally, I have a love/hate relationship with them. I love being able to just throw my hair back and go. As the mom of three young kids, I frankly do not have an hour to get ready each day. As I'm rushing around trying to get myself ready, I have a baby crawling around, a toddler who just spilled juice, and a preschooler who is taking that exact moment to ask me the deep questions in life. Needless to say, it's all to easy to let my hairstyle end up at the bottom of the list. The result? The unfortunate "mom" look, consisting of jeans, a t-shirt, and a sloppy ponytail.
When I finally did look in the mirror and realized that I did not recognize the person staring back at me, I decided it was time for a change. The first thing to go? The ponytail. Ever since my eight or ninth month of pregnancy, I have been wearing my hair in the exact same way. In fact, I would venture to say that (until recently) there was not a photo of me with my hair down since last August.
As a former ponytail addict, I decided to write on how and why you may want to branch out a bit and pitch that elastic "Goody" band of yours. Not sure how? Here are some tips.

* Get a haircut. This is probably the first and most obvious step towards breaking your ponytail addiction. When you don't really care for your hair, you're just not motivated to "do" it. It's all too easy to fall into a rut when it's been a few months since your last trim. Personally, I find that regular haircuts every 8 weeks or so are enough to keep my style fresh, which means that I actually want to blow dry and mess with my hair, rather than just throw it back into a frustrated ponytail.
* Invest in new shampoo and conditioner. When your hair smells like a tropical rainforest, you're going to want to having it falling around your shoulders for the world to smell. It's also nice when you have some fun hair products to play with. I suggest experimenting with a new shampoo and conditioner, as well as a product that adds shine and reduces frizz. Changing up your routine a bit may just be the inspiration you need.
Plumberry Swarovski Centered Flower Headband, available from BeautifulBlossoms on Etsy.
Source: http://www.etsy.com/listing/57452931/plumberryswar...
* Ah, accessories.... Play around with headbands, hair clips, or other hair accessories. There are some really cute options out there these days. Check out this
Feather Hair Clip, Swarovski Flower Headband, and these Vintage Jewelry Hair Pins.

# Make it a priority to fix your hair. Really, even five or ten minutes will do (and with three children, that is just about all the time I have!). My worst habit was getting out of the shower and pulling my hair into a wet ponytail. In order to break this habit, I decided to pick a time each day to shower, dry my hair, and make sure I did something with it. While I used to set aside ten minutes for a quick shower, I now make it a priority to set aside twenty or thirty minutes to shower, dry my hair, and either style it with a straightener (which takes a little longer) or pull it half back with a clip. It's simple, but it's certainly better than a wet ponytail each day.
# The happy medium. On the days you are either in a hurry, or simply don't want your hair in your face, try pulling it half back. This allows for the convenience of having it "up," but still maintaining a bit of style. When done right, this can be a great look, especially considering how little time it actually takes. Pick up a few hair clips, and have some fun with it!
# When all else fails - embrace the ponytail, with style. I must say, I have seen quite a few women who really can rock the ponytail. Pair it with a chic headband, throw in a braid or two, and you're ready to go. Remember, ponytails aren't necessarily a bad idea. There a big difference between a look that says, "Leaving the office, and on my way to meet the girls for drinks!" and, "I just changed the litter box." Keep in mind that a good ponytail is both polished and purposeful looking - not the result of chaos or boredom.
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