Almost a Teen

It's really hard to believe that my firstborn is nearly a teen.  Her birthday is just a few days away!

Inspired by an idea from another online mom, I came up with an idea for her birthday.  We gave her   the choice between a birthday party and gift (as in item wrapped in pretty paper) or a new haircut with styling consultation, a makeup consultation, and a shopping spree.  She choice the latter.  And today was the day.

First we visited a local hair salon for her cut and consultation.  You see, mom has straight hair; my daughter has wavy hair.  I have no idea how to style her hair so she's always worn it parted in the middle, brushed, and allowed to air dry.  It was frizzy and without any style.  Today, they cut several inches off, put in layers, and added some side bangs.  Then they talked to her about what kind of shampoo would be best, using a curl definer, and some hair spray.  They also used a Knot Genie in her hair, and my daughter was sold instantly.  She's never been able to brush her hair painlessly in less than a minute.  With the money budgeted for the day, we paid for the cut and brush.

Then we hit Taco Bell for a drive though lunch on the way to her makeup consultation with Clinique.  There she was taught how to clean her face and shown how to apply makeup in an appropriate way for her skin and age.  There we got a list of all of the items used and their prices.  She also chose to buy a small package of facial cleaning products, foundation, and lipstick.

Then we visited Target to do a quick price check before going to Kohl's.  She scored big at Kohl's where she found a pair of jeans, a pair of sweats, a long-sleeve shirt, a sweatshirt, two screen-printed tees, and a tank for under $50.  She would have been able to get more but the current styles and colors are not her style.

Then we went back to Target.  We were so under budget that we went back to Target to get clearance-priced Converse shoes, mascara, eyeshadow, blush, makeup brushes, a makeup bag, a mirror for her bedroom door, cork tiles, and push pins.

In the end, she still had a little money left over, which we just let her have.

She's one happy almost teen!