Parenthood

Yep, as you can tell from the title of this post, my husband and I now belong to a new club.  On June 5th, we welcomed two little boys into the world and there started our initiation into the Parenthood Club.  I wish I had a special world to sum up the experience but it was the most magical, emotional, life changing, lump in your throat, heart pounding, out of body experience I've ever had x2, literally. I highly recommend creating another human and giving birth to it....just sayin'.

Surprisingly enough they let us take them home just 2 days later and we've been trying to survive ever since. They just turned a month old and they seriously change every day.  Already they have established that they are not morning people, that it is possible for a 9 day old baby to roll over on his own, that there is no such thing as being peed on too many times, and that it is possible to spend all day staring at a baby.

The past month has definitely been a blur.  We've had good days and bad days.  We've managed to get a few date nights in and we've definitely learned the importance of sleeping when the babies sleep. Trust me when I say that a nap after becoming a parent will feel like a lottery win!

Speaking of naps...I should be indulging in one as we speak so I'll leave this blog post here and be sure to give an update when I can on the little men in our life!

I come with good news

HI!  So I've been wanting to sit down for a few months now and blog but every time I open up my laptop and start typing I hate everything that comes out.  So instead of trying to come up with a topic that I think everyone would enjoy reading I figured I'd just talk about something that has taken over my life. As of last Friday I am now 25 weeks pregnant...that's right I am a legit maker of human beings, so crazy.  I wasn't planning on blogging at all about being pregnant but my husband suggested I should so that I can keep everyone up to date on how things are going, so here I am!  In case you don't already know I am so very special...why you may ask yourself...because I am growing not one baby but two.  And to solidify my Superwoman status I have encountered the ability to grow two tiny men.  That's proof enough for me that women do in fact rule the world...just sayin'.  So let me catch all of you up on how we've made it to 25 weeks. 

First Trimester (4-12 weeks):
This trimester was rough for me, as I'm sure it is for many women. To be honest it was a little of a blur for me.  I'm pretty sure I slept through most of it and when I wasn't sleeping I was doing my best to keep as much food down as I could, which inevitably was not a lot considering I lost 5 or 6 lbs. What I do remember most about this time was at 11 weeks I had my first regular OB appointment (I had been seeing my fertility specialist up until this point) and she did an ultrasound and there they were...flipping and kicking and looking very much like real babies instead of gummy bears!  This was probably the moment I realized that all the struggles we faced for the past 3 years of NOT getting pregnant had been because I was meant to have these two little people.  Pretty incredible.  If you ask my husband he will also probably refer this trimester as the New Boobs Era. Men.

Second Trimester (13-present week):
I started this one off with the flu.  In fact I have contracted a lot of sickness in this trimester.  I can blame this on working in a pharmacy where I see sick people day in and day out.  And no matter how much I sanitize myself or hold my breathe while slinging their meds at them, I am a magnet. Thank you sick people of America.  Aside from my weakened immune system a lot has come about in these past few weeks.  My bump is finally a baby bump and the boys have learned the art of a swift kick. A lot of people ask me if I've had any cravings and sadly none of the weird pregnancy kind.  It's mostly been fresh fruit and ice cream.  Lame, I know.  As for the babies, there personalities are already starting to show themselves.  .  As of recently our days have been filled with hospital tours, project nursery, and c-section videos...I don't encourage you to watch one if your on the fence about having kids.  Baby A or as we call him...the ladies man, is definitely the more active of the two.  Every ultrasound he poses and waves at the techs and he is never shy about showing off his goods.  Men.  Baby B is our shy boy.  He rarely shows his face and when he does he's usually sucking his thumb. We go in for our monthly check up this week so I'll keep everyone updated on the weeks to come. 

Here is the bump progress so far...

Top Left: The day I found out I was pregnant, Bottom Left: 13 weeks, Middle: 18 weeks, Right: 23 weeks.

Oh..HI. Remember Me?

6 months is a perfectly expectable time frame for posting a new blog....FAIL!  Well I may not be a outstanding blogger but I do have a new post to share with you guys!

I am a women who obsesses over things...well I think by nature most females are this way but I am not exception.  I've gathered up a few products that I've been loving for quite awhile now and would like to gush a little bit about them.

 

 

First on my list of loves is my Clarisonic Mia.  This is a cleansing brush that I have used for well over a year now.  Anytime I feel like my skin is blocked up and needs a deep clean  I use this (about 2x a week).  It's also made a huge difference in the texture of my skin since it  helps exfoliate too.

 

 

In conjunction to using the Clarisonic I've been using all natural coconut oil to remove my makeup at night.  That's right I use a cooking product to help clean my face!  I was having issue with getting all traces of makeup off with just a regular cleanser and then I read about how oils can actually help break down oils...weird.  I just take a nickel size amount, massage it into my face, use a cotton pad to remove it and then follow up with my regular face wash routine. 

 

Aside from washing my face I have also found two makeup products that have made it into my regular rotation.  First is a new foundation, Bare Minerals Liquid Foundation.  I've never been a huge fan of their powder form so I was hesitant about this.  But like usually, one day I was creeping on this girls skin that came into my work and asked her what she used and I was surprised that this is what she suggested.  Now I am in love....seriously amazing stuff!  The next product is something I got for Christmas (Thanks much Chels!)and I haven't gone many days without using it.  It's fancy name is Ambient Lighting Powder by Hourglass but real people just call it a highlighter.  If you don't already use a highlighter I highly recommend it!  I use this on the high points of my cheeks and a little down the center of my face and it immediately brightens everything up.

 

Now on to a couple of hair discoveries....I recently became a blond, not like a fully committed blond just like testing the waters type of situation.  I have to admit...I love it, maybe even a little more than being on the dark side.  But being inducted into the blond club has had a draw back.  I have definitely notice that I have to take a little better care of my hair now that it's bleached.  Enter...Joico K-Pak Color Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner.  I would buy this stuff for the way it smells alone but it's the real deal otherwise.  And last but not least is a dry shampoo.  I'm a firm believer in not washing your hair everyday. Note: I did not say I was a believer in not showering everyday...totally different!  I've tried a million dry shampoos and luckily I have found my one and only, Herbal Essence Naked Dry Shampoo.    Hair Tip:  Spray dry shampoo in your hair before you go to bed and wake up with some serious volume!

 

Well that's it....getting back in the blogging saddle again was easier than I thought.  I'm hoping to have some fun and interesting blogs and updates coming up in the future so talk to you soon!

 

 

 

Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure - Paulo Coelho "The Alchemist"



Beauty Splurge

The beauty market is a multi billion dollar industry.  I have contributed many hundreds, maybe even thousands (ugh...) of dollars over my 28 years to it and so have many others.  A little fact for your brain...drugstore brands like L'Oreal are also the same brand responsible for high end companies like Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, and Urban Decay to name a few.  So how do we know what products to shell out the big bucks for?  I've narrowed down my picks on some things that I think are worthy of a splurge.



1. Makeup Brushes:  A good quality makeup brush can really go the distance if you take care of them.  I make sure to clean mine with olive oil and antibacterial soap once a week to ensure their longevity.  Sigma Makeup Brushes are a good quality brand.

2. Foundation:  Now don't get me wrong...I think there are a few drugstore foundations that are amazing, I even use a few myself BUT after I purchased my first high end version it all made sense to me.  I have found through many foundation trial and errors (and many is an understatement) that the value for money is well worth the splurge.  Typically drugstore foundations usually last me 2 months tops, whereas high end formulations can stretch to 6 months.  My top two favorites are NARS Sheer Glow and Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua.

3. Good Skin Care: My mom has always taught me to take good care of my skin.  I think it's important to have one product in your routine that is a splurge.  If not for the luxury feeling you get when you use it but also for the ingredients packed into it.  More and more beauty oils are making a name for themselves and I have been on this bandwagon myself for years now. My go to is Josie Maran Argan Oil (duh).  Another splurge item I use is an eye cream.  Although I think a lot of the age process is genetic but I cannot say enough about prevention, prevention, prevention!  This bad boy is currently in my lineup, Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Eye Cream. 

4. Signature Scent: This one is simple.  Find a perfume you love and wear it everywhere.  Every girl needs a signature scent.  To me CHANEL is H.B.I.C. (head b*tch in charge)  for feminine and classic scents and mine is Chanel Chance.

5. Concealer:  I'm still on the search to find a drugstore concealer that can replace my coveted MAC Studio Finish Concealer. I def. don't use this one under my eyes but this product is perfection when it comes to concealing any spots on the face.

Until next time....Happy Holidays!

Get Your Health On

Well...well...well...we meet again.  I'm not even going to start this blog with another excuse why it's been so long since my last post but I'm back!  Anyways...we've made it to fall!  Not my favorite season but it still remains the runner up.  I love the leaves changing colors, the ridiculous amount of pumpkin flavored things, feeling a little cozier at home, and definitely the fall fashion.  Now that we've put away the tank tops, bathing suits, and shorts, it's also the time of year when we start to let ourselves go a little bit.  That's right, I'm on to you...but don't worry I'm here to give some quick tips on how to maintain a healthy outlook.  These are the simple things I live and swear by:

• Eat breakfast!  Everyday and no I'm not just talking about a banana on your way to work.  Breakfast is the time when you need a pretty hefty amount of protein and calories.  Not only will it help keep you from having mid-morning cravings but it sets you up to start your day off with a ton of energy. My go to breakfast is rolled oats with almond milk, cinnamon, blueberries and peanut butter and a banana on the side.

• DO NOT skip meals.  I know a lot of people may think that this may help overall with losing weight and that is completely wrong.  Not only does this slow down your metabolism making it harder for you to lose pounds (if that's your goal) it also seriously alters your energy levels. Food is fuel so make sure your eating 3 good size portions a day or 5 smaller meals to keep your body in check.

• Green tea is your friend.  I could go on forever about the benefits of green tea, I love it!  A few of it's super powers include antioxidant, brain booster, helps burn fat, and strengthens immunity.  I try to incorporate at least 1 cup if not more everyday.

• Fast food is not your friend.  It is poison, really it is.

• Treat exercise like having to brush your teeth.  I know that's a weird statement but what I mean is it should be something you don't have to consciously think about doing, it just comes automatic to you.  That doesn't mean that you have to obsessively be on the treadmill or lifting weights every single day. On the days that you aren't doing those take the dog for a walk, go shopping, hike a trail, swim, just BE ACTIVE!

• Don't over think it.  Nothing sucks more than having to plan out a diet.  Just thinking about all the things you can't have makes you want them that much more, so just don't do it. Everyone has enough common sense to figure out that more fruits and veggies and less fried food is good. The more you start to incorporate the goods things the easier it becomes to maintain them.

Having a healthy lifestyle can do wonders with our outer appearance. For me it's just as important as to what it does for the inside as well.  I want to live as long as possible, like vampire life span, but obviously that isn't necessarily in the cards for just a mere human like myself,  so eating healthy and exercising is my way of contributing to longevity.  Hope this post was more helpful than annoying!

Real women have cellulite

This post is strictly directed towards women. Men are welcome to read, but you will not relate, sympathize, or even understand half of what I'm about to talk about (that should be the slogan for all woman/man relationships, lol).

 So..this is all about WOMANHOOD. There's all kinds of formal and informal ways to indicate that you've reached womanhood. I remember being younger and desperately longing for a period and boobs like that was going to magically give me the body of a Victoria's Secret model (teenagers have a delusional way of thinking, don't they?). Little did I know that there are all sorts of weird and uncomfortable changes that I would have to look forward to for years to come.

 I have to say that I haven't hit any major bumps in the road thus far but there is one change that's been creeping up on me in the past few years. It's called CELLULITE and it is nobodies friend! I always assumed that because I eat pretty clean, I drink tons of water and workout regularly that I wouldn't have to worry too much about it. WRONG, here's a fact...healthy bitches get it too! No matter what size you are, a crazy 85% of woman get cellulite at some point. but WHHHYYYY??

 The biggest contributor, GENES. Yo mama got the cellulite then you got it too! Another big one is our hormones. Yep, women can't escape those things either. TRUTH is it's really hard to avoid cellulite all together and even worse... nothing, and I mean NOTHING, can get rid of it for good! All those lotions, potions, and creams only minimize the appearance temporarily, so don't buy into the hype. However I have discovered a couple of ways to help the skin appear smoother:

 Building muscle in the areas you have it, for most woman, including myself this is the back of the legs and butt area. Because your building muscle, your creating a more toned look to those areas, which in return helps reduce cellulite effect.

 Another is exfoliating and massaging the area on a regular basis. By exfoliating your helping to increase lymphatic drainage. An ingredient you want to look for in a body exfoliant is caffeine. It's helps support blood flow allowing for a smoother looking appearance to the skin.

The third tip is  WATER, WATER, WATER. Drink a lot of it. All the time. Period. Water helps flush out toxins in the body that can contribute to cellulite.

And the last helpful tip of mine...EMBRACE IT.  Welcome to Womanhood!

Get Your Matcha On!

Meet my new OBSESSION....

Teavana Matcha Tea

Yep, it was all over the second I tried this stuff!  So what is it?  It's called Matcha and it's a green tea.  Sounds really basic huh?  Well, it's not just any green tea, it's pretty amazing for your insides and just may give you super powers (ok, not really).  Let me give you the run down on this traditional Japanese ceremony tea and why I love this stuff.

• It's lime green, seriously LIME GREEN!
• It packs some serious antioxidant power.  Nearly 10x more than regular tea!
• Helps boost metabolism and lower cholesterol
• Doesn't leave you with that jittery feeling that coffee sometimes can cause.
• One of the highest grade teas on the market, umm...FANCY!
• It's just soooo damn good!

Here's how I drink it.

1. Put 1 teaspoon of Matcha powder and 1 teaspoon of sweetener into your fav. coffee mug.
2. Use a small whisk to mix the two together
3. Whisk 1/4 cup of hot water with Match mix until it's a little foamy on top and well blended
4. Heat up 3/4 cup of almond milk and then add to your Matcha.
5. One final whisk to mix everything together and your ready to enjoy!

And YES it's suppose to look like that...don't be scuuured!

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