Advice Column

Dear Bella,

I have very little time in the morning to curl my hair.

Is there any way I can roll out of bed and have curls that will stay all day?

FLAT-HAIRED

Dear Flat-haired,

Of course! My mother once taught me a fool-proof solution that I use all the time. This should be done before bed.

First, you must take ten ½’’ x 4’’ strips of cloth, and set them aside. Then, wet your hair until it is very damp. I recommend taking a shower, and drying your hair lightly with a towel. Once this is done, split your hair into 10 even pieces. Braid each hair piece tightly and tie with a strip of cloth to fasten. Once the ten pieces are done, place a hair net carefully around the head with braids tucked inside. Go to sleep, and once you wake up, take out the braids, ties, and hairnet. Soon enough, you’ll have picture perfect hair!

Dear Bella,

My child is 6 months old, and he cries relentlessly through the night! My husband and I cannot any rest, what with having to constantly cradle him back to sleep. Please help!

EXHAUSTED

Dear Exhausted,

This is a very common problem with children ranging anywhere from 3 months to a year! I realize that sleep deprivation can impact many aspects of your life, such as temperament or ability to focus. It's very important that you get your rest! That's why when I was raising my child, I developed a sure fire method to help prevent many of those sleepless nights.

First of all, tempting as it may be to get up, let your child alone for a couple of nights. This will teach him that this kind of complaining will not accomplish anything! If he continues to cry (which he might) you must tuck his blanket around him very tightly, making sure his arms are securely under the blanket. Feeling his arms and limbs close to him gives the baby a sense of security and balance, so he won’t cry.

Now take back your beauty sleep. You deserve it!