How to do the ridiculous hair bun

I had a couple requests from Instagram about doing a how to for this outrageous hair bun in these pictures.

I can't take credit for this bun in any way, a million girls are way trendier than me and have been doing it for ages. And my sister is the one who taught me how to do it when she was here visiting a few weeks ago. So here's a really probably not great tutorial on how to achieve this. It's actually super easy, so there's not much to show! And don't mind the gross pictures of me sans make up. I did this before the babies woke up for the day.

You will need:
A brush
A hair elastic
4-6 bobby pins
Dry shampoo
Really dirty hair (If you want, I do this bun on days 6-9 of not washing)

STEP 1
Spray the heck out of your hair with dry shampoo. It helps give it volume and texture, which will help your hair hold the shape of the bun and give it a fuller look. 
This is day 6 hair so I already have a load of dry shampoo in it.

STEP 2
Make the highest ponytail you can imagine. Channel the 80's as much as possible, and make it higher than you think.

This picture was not high enough, I re-did it even higher but forgot to picture it. Basically put it right on the crown of your head.

STEP 3
Back comb the ponytail close to the base to poof up the volume, not too much though. This isn't Utah in the early 2000's.

STEP 4
Let the ponytail fall open from the center, you should look like Cousin It. From Addams Family. Does anyone still get that reference? I'm old.

STEP 5
Wrap large chunks of the ponytail at a time around the ponytail base and tuck the ends, pinning with bobby pins underneath and toward the center of your bun. You shouldn't need more than 4-6 bobby pins to do this. You can wrap the pieces tighter if you want a smaller bun. I like the huge bun.

I try to do a lot of the pinning toward the back, but try to hide the pins still so that the bun looks symmetrical all the way around.

STEP 6
Tuck any sticky outty pieces in. I always end up with some pieces doing this....

Usually I can just tuck them into the bun and they will stay down without extra pinning. But you can use a pin if you need to to control the flyaways.

And voila! A ridiculously giant bun right on top of your head! It's so easy and fast and looks more polished than a ponytail. It's a must for mommy life. And if you're like me and hate washing your hair, the bun can extend the life of your hair by a couple of days. 

Why I gave up washing my hair

Expecting a second baby has made me rethink how I do a lot of things on a regular basis. 

Throughout my day I think things like "how would I be doing this with Mason clinging to my legs AND a tiny baby in my arms?" 

Most often I think that when I'm getting ready for the day. I cut waaay back on my "beauty" routine when I had Mason. So I'm just assuming that some cutbacks will be necessary again with baby girl around. 

In preparation for this, I have given up washing my hair. And it's spectacular.

I'm not sure everyone can relate to my hatred for having to wash my hair, because some people have lovely, nice, straight hair that blow dries quickly and beautifully. On the contrary, I have wavy, thick, crazy, kinky hair that requires blow drying, straightening, styling, and loads of product. Who has time for that with two kids?!

Then I discovered dry shampoo. One of my top 5 life changing moments. Just kidding. Mostly.

I now actually wash my hair every 6-9 days. And the best part is, my hair is way more fabulous unwashed than it ever was washing it every other day. 

At first I could only go 4-5 days, but the less I washed, the less I needed to. I've read that before but never believed it. But it's so true. Your hair will adjust and stop being so greasy. I don't even need the dry shampoo until day 3, and by then it's usually just in my bangs.

Days 4-6 are the best. My hair is voluminous and textured and lays so nicely. I wake up, run a brush through it, maybe straighten a few kinks, and that's it.

A lot of the time I wash it on day 6. But if I want to drag it out, I've discovered lots of cute ways to put my hair up. The best part is that buns and updos are SO easy when your hair is filthy and loaded with dry shampoo. The bobby pins stay in and it holds in place so nicely.  

I discovered this beauty on Pinterest. And it IS easier than it looks. It took me maybe ten minutes.

I've also found the joy of a lovely ballerina bun with a bow or a headband. I always see these girls with their hair pulled up in darling ways, and not washing my hair has inspired me to actually try it. And made it so much easier to do.

So if you long to be free from the bonds of your shampoo bottle and blow dryer. If you dread the mornings that you have to deal with that sopping wet mess of hair. Stop washing it!!

Oh, and dry shampoo is dirt cheap. My favorite is Suave Keratin and it's less than $3 a bottle. And of all the reviews I've read online, the cheap ones are just as good as the more expensive ones, so stick with the cheapies!