What Mommies Want

 Of course all mommies want some basic things such as praising God for the blessings of our child(ren), giving their child(ren) the very best life has to offer, having healthy child(ren), and last but not least we do want to be superwoman! All of those things are the foundation of what mommies want but there is more much more to us than that.

To spell it out and please add more as you wish but here is a list I've heard others say and even myself say too:

-To know we are good Mothers because secretly we worry constantly we are not good enough
-Even though we are Mommy all the time please still treat us as an individual don't box us into a corner as if we are not supermom, superwife, how about just plain super person 
-Give us a break on occasion to pee alone or whatever else we might need even if it's just for a few hours each week
-Don't think we are a walking disaster especially if you haven't walked in our shoes because to the very best of our ability we are more organized than we seem
-We are in charge of a life or more therefore we CAN do more than you give us credit for at work even if we are 5 minutes or more late most days
-We are professionals at work then change into the cook, cleaner, laundry, finance, etc at home and do not need a parade in our honor for that but once in a while it would be nice to be told how amazing we are especially by our hubby's 

-Even if we do not "work" outside the home never assume we do not work extremely hard 24/7 because the sheer fact the house is still ours and the kids are alive lets you know we did work VERY hard

-If we do smell like desitin, have spit up on our back, or even a cookie in our hair please politely keep your comments to yourself unless you know we are about to walk out the door to face a load of people then politely give us a few bathroom minutes prior to leaving to hunt for the said items

-Please remember that before we were moms we were the runner, loved to go to wine tastings, hiking was relaxing, a good bath bomb in the bubble bath was world peace, spray tans did make us feel healthy, spas were a vacation, beaches or any trip for that matter was the key to our heart, a clean house made for a clearer mind, and much more was who we are so those things are still there just put on the back burner to concentrate on top priorities of raising sweet babies

I could go on for days and I'm sure some moms out there could also add a million more, but what it boils down to is that we want first and foremost to raise amazing individuals that are happy and healthy and along the way have respect in doing that.  I really do believe you can have it all as a mother because no matter what others may say or think you do have it all!!

Bump

Long time with no posting.  Sorry for being MIA from blog land for several months, but a lot of amazing, scary, and thank God wonderful things have been happening in my life!  Right now we are very happy to say I am pregnant with our second blessing and we are over the moon excited about her/him!!  Check out the bump:

It has definitely been a much different pregnancy this time with a lot of struggles but now with lots of prayers we are hopefully sailing smooth to 38 weeks when I will deliver.  Without bumps in the road the destination wouldn't be so much fun is our motto right now because we are so blessed to have this sweet little lemon which is the size of the baby here!  It is ironic because I am craving lemons SO bad :) this baby love citrus!!

Fun facts about this photo - 1. I am wearing motherhood maternity secret belly fit jeans, but my top is actually not maternity it is from Gap 2. My nail polish in this photo is part of the Kourtney Kardashian OPI collection 3. The ring I have on is not my normal ring I've already moved into my pregnancy ring that was a mothers day gift from my hubby with my first pregnancy :)

Trashy

Before we begin I will confess yes I did take a photo of a trash can! Now that we are passed that I love to have things organized and clean especially my car therefore I was on the hunt for a trash can that would fit into my car that was big enough for a long trip. I used a cereal container I found at target for $2.99! It is going to be super handy all year especially during family vacations!!!

Poo Less Nation

What a title to this post WOW. Anyway poo less is referring to NOT using shampoo. Well right now you might be thinking this post is still going to gross you out but in actuality it is a product review on Wen hair products. I just purchased my first Wen hair care system because I've been hearing about a lot of people going "poo free" and so I had to try it!

Basically I'm at my breaking point with my hormonal hair because since I had my child my hair just hasn't been the same. To revive it I tried the Wen poo free system with the sweet almond mint cleansing conditioner, re moist intensive hair treatment, and replenishing treatment mist. So far I am a fan because after three treatments my hair feels softer and my scalp feels refreshed not itchy from residue. It is a little lackluster because you don't get those pretty bubbles plus you do use a lot of product, but the overall outcome is very rewarding. I guess I'm on the poo less bus now because I think I'm working my way into the hair type I've always wanted!! I will keep you updated if things change but so far I'm hooked!!

Disclaimer: I purchased these products on my own and was not paid by Wen to write this review. HOWEVER if you are in good with Wen tell them I would accept any or all freebies from this point on!!

Gold

I am struggling with TV shows now that the Olympics are not on, but in the spirit of the games plus due to my now three year olds fav color I am turning on the gold by wearing gold nail polish. What do you think?!?!?

Sunless Tan Sunday Summer prep

Over the years I have experimented with various sunless tanning methods. Basically it breaks down into two categories 1.DIY or 2. Pay the pros! Under those categories for DIY you have options galore to choose from such as lotions, sprays, gels, towels, foam, and powder then under pay the pros you have sprays plus attention.

There are always pros and cons to every situation, but my fav way to get my glow on is to use St. Tropez Tanning Moose

Source: sephora.com via Sprial on Pinterest

St Tropez is an awesome brand for  DIY tanning and you can get many many tans from this bottle. 

If I go to the pros I use the Versa Spa machine at a local hair salon here is how to use one:



BUT the key to making EITHER of these options work is prep.  You need to prep your skin before going there and a lot of times I hear people say that you need to exfoliate but there is much much more.  Here is what I do step by step because I think the word exfoliate can throw some people off.

Before applying any tanning product to your skin - Do the following (this is what I do):
STEP 1: As close to the time that you are going to apply the product take a shower (use a body sponge or lofa with your fav shower gel or soap I like the Buf-Puf Double-Sided Body Sponge )
STEP 2: During the shower shave any areas that you would normally shave (make sure you use thick shaving cream I like Skintimate Moisturizing Shave Gel, Sensitive Skin)
STEP 3: Apply a scrub and rub it all over your body (I like to use a simple mix of Extra Virgin olive oil and Sugar)
STEP 4: Shave again (TRUST me you will have super soft skin)
STEP 5: Dry off really well and do not put on any lotion except on areas like elbows, knees, fingers, and toes/bottoms of feet because you do not want those areas to get too much product and look way darker than anywhere else

After the product is applied:
STEP 1: Check for any areas that might look a little streaky and put some latex gloves on put a dime size amount of your fav lotion in your gloves rub all over to even out your product if you do not have gloves then use your hands but wash them ASAP or they will be stained
STEP 2: Do not use hot hot water showers/bath and apply lotion after every shower after to make your tan last longer

Hope this helps my friends that have been asking what I do not to look really streaked with my fake tans!  :)

Smokey Eyes

Several people have asked me if I have ever tried the smokey eye look that is so popular right now. Honestly, I never try to wear heavy eye shadow partly because back when I did go out it wasn't in style and because I never thought it was a good look for me, but I did attempt the look just for fun tonight. I used my favorite eye shadow palette Naked by Urban Decay, Nars highlight blush in albatross, Urban Decay potion primer, 27/7 Urban Decay black eyeliner, and a white liner pencil to create this look. Let me know what you think it's still not my thing but now I can say I did it!

No flight - Packing

When we do not fly and we are taking a trip for four days or less I pack in possibly a unconventional way, but to me it is so much more relaxing than putting everything in a suitcase. I pack in a laundry basket, yes I said I pack in a laundry basket.

Here are my thoughts about why I pack in a basket. 1. After the trip is over all of your dirty laundry is in a laundry basket already 2. Lots more space is around if you do not have a zipper 3. If you put a put a blanket on the top (I always do because I know most hotels do not wash the comforters) you can still stack extra items on top in the car if needed 4. Easy to place on a rolling hotel cart 5. Overall I think I pack more efficiently in the basket because I have space without the top 6. If you have a small child it is a time saver too because you can carry it around dumping stuff in as you are leaving if needed. Ok I have tons more reasons but you get the point I think it's gravy!!

Try it on your next trip!! Let me know how it goes!!

Fresh Coat of Paint

As I talk to other moms or find interesting activities online I do try a few and we found this works! I modified another moms idea and it is at least 30-40 minutes of good fun!

Here is what you need:
-cardboard box bigger the better
-paint brush
-small container
-bath fizz tablets
- little water

Here is what you do:
1. Fill container half way with water
2. Let child put fizzy in water color of their choice
3. Place the cardboard on either grass or the driveway something that will not stain because these haven't stained even clothes but I would not want you to find out the hard way it stains
4. Give the child the paint brush and container let them paint away

It is a super fun activity which doesn't give everything in your house a coat of paint!!!

Bread Winner

Even though I am not the money maker in the family anymore I can still make some dough and save some money. ANYONE can!!

I do not have a bread maker or fancy pants bread making skills, but I recently had an interest in making my own bread. My Mother-in-law even gave me a recipe which I haven't attempted yet. I thought I would start off with one of these kits to see if I could get up the courage to make our bread instead of buying it every time.

Just completed the super easy process with this kit and as you can see it didn't turn out too bad for my first try! Basically you add sugar and yeast add cup of warm water let activate for 2 minutes then stir in flour (everything is included minus water) finally plop onto a baking sheet let rest covered for 25 minutes then bake!!! It was surprising how easy it is and it is way cheaper than loaf bread. Not too pretty but is yummy no matter what it looks like!!! I consider my first attempt as a winner!!

Random Acts of kindness - YES

Today as I was looking through Pinterest to find fun things to do with my son I came across this one http://ticklestogiggles.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-birthday-was-awesome.html?m=1 and I LOVE IT!!! In fact, I'm such a big believer of this I've done pay it forward days of my own. When I paid it forward my son and I simply went to Starbucks which we love to do for breakfast on occasion and bought the persons drink in the car behind us in the drive thur line plus put a $5 tip (which I never do) in the container for the employees. It was so rewarding and the woman actually tried to get next to us and stick the coffee out the window saying cheers and many thanks for starting off my day with a smile!!!

Both random acts of kindness and paying it forward are wonderful ways to impact a person! It really doesn't take a lot of money or a ton of time to help in even the smallest way! I especially like to help our local community because lots of times I am angered at large non profits for their misuse of funds when for instance they send us a dime, penny, quarters even, and I've even heard of dollars so you will send it back to them plus some. I'm not sure how their accountant even allows that to happen but it does so often!! I ended up taking those funds and putting them with my favorite non profit the American Cancer Society so thank you other organization for contributing to the organization of my choice!

Anyway, I just had to share this today because I love doing community service and hope to pass that on to my child too!!!

Smelly Smelly

We were getting ready to go on a walk and noticed several neighbors pointing at our house. I thought at first they were talking about our new front porch or the fact our bows were blowing down and falling apart, but no it was because we had seven, yes I said seven, baby skunks rolling all over each other on our front walkway! Wonderful right?!?! I think not and I'm glad we haven't seen them since!

Pump It: Garmin Product Review

Just got an AHHHHHMAZING running watch!! I'm so excited to have a Garmin Forerunner 110 with heart rate monitor to use while I'm running around workin' on my fitness!! I know I had to throw in Fergie!!

Anyway, I've already used it two times and love it! It is super easy to use and works even on back roads. It only takes about 30 seconds to find satellites for the GPS feature to start tracking mileage. Each time you hit a mile or add miles while running it will give you your pace and has a tone to let you know. The watch will even store 180 minutes of run time, date, pace, mileage, and heart rate data. You can also put the data on your computer to track your progress. It is light weight and adjusts even to my thin wrist.

The only negative comment I have thus far is that the charger is difficult to use. You have to make sure the connection is just right to get a good charge.

Overall I give this product a BIG thumbs up, 10 points, 5 stars, and a YES I would recommend it to friends!!! The other plus is that I got mine on sale!!

More information from the manufacturer: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=63511

My new toy:

Travel Tips of the week

We love to travel so these are some tricks we use:

1. Stick a dryer sheet in your suit case(s) when you travel because it helps keep all your belongings smelling great!
2. Save space by putting socks in your shoes
3. Use your largest purse for your personal item to get more carry on
4. When traveling with small children don't forget to bring something they love to play with plus a surprise toy or toys to distract when needed
5. Wrap bottles of shampoo and such with clear plastic wrap then a ziplock to prevent bad leaks
6. Check the weather before you go and pack items you might be able to wear a few times or items that will dry quickly after a quick wash in the sink or laundry
7. Think about shipping a few items for an extended stay
8. Pack extra ziplock and trash bags for dirty laundry plus packing up items you may have purchased on your trip
9. Wear socks during travel... Everyone takes their shoes off where you do at security Yuck!!
10. For long flights purchase food and drink to carry on with you plus have your own ear buds in case of an in flight movie
11. To pop your ears fake a yawn then to pop a babies ears gently make sure they are drinking something on take off and landing

I have tons more but I'm running out of steam with it being 2:02am I think I will try to sleep now! :)

Water Blob = Friday fun for hours

At first I thought Pinterest might be a big waste of time but now I think it is a great tool to find awesome ideas to try! Yesterday we tried making a water blob and we were a little skeptical because the supplies are just sheeting plastic and duct tape. Our two year old even help us put some tape on and surprisingly it was Hours of fun for all three of us!!! Basically it is a tuff water mattress and it does not take much effort to get it ready to play with!!

Here are the steps: inside take a section of plastic and fold it in half, tape the sides up with the duct tape leaving a small hole just big enough to put a hose through, take it outside put the water hose in the opening fill it with water, and play till you can find a way to bust it (we really had to try hard this is tuff)!!

As you can see I can stand on it and our baby can flip on it too!! My hubby actually belly flopped on it with both baby and me on it and it still held up!!

Using the cloud

Today is such a beautiful day and I wanted to do several activities outside with my main man! We had a blast using the cloud... not to be confused with the iCloud or a real cloud... and we had SO SO much fun!! It is so messy but easy and a good hour of fun! It is so simple most of the stuff I had already. All you do is use corn starch, Shaving cream, and we even added baby oil to create a soft beautiful molding "sand" like dough. Honestly we didn't measure anything out but mixed what we liked. The great news about this stuff too is that it really feels great and is a great sensory learning project! It also pampers mommy too because I got in a little sun after the mixing stage was done!! Check it out:

Smack

Confession - I cannot put on lipstick and not smack, rub, bite, or lick it off. Shew I completed the first step to admitting I have a problem. Now how to resolve it? I LOVE Loreal's lip color in their infallible line. I'm a big Loreal brand of makeup fan if I'm going with drugstore products in general but when talking about at minimum 12 hour coverage this stuff is the best I've found out there! I kiss on my baby, wrestle around with him, drink 10 glasses of water, and it is still hanging on possibly even still there when I get ready for bed. It is so good I've had to apply another lipstick over it just to get it off!

To apply you use the color first then allow that to dry for a minute finally put on their gloss stick and go!! Remember that if you choose a color you do not like apply a different lipstick or lipgloss to rub it off... like products remove each other normally!

This is what it looks like:

And for my next trick

I'm going back in time to elementary school today! I tried reluctantly to do what the instructions said to do with my last and VERY bright Julep Maven box. It said take the two colors and a toothpick and play with different shapes on your nails! Now I feel like I should bedazzle something!! I let my two year old help as a project since we have been up since 5:30 AM I needed something we could do till the fog could burn off. Take a look at our work:

Cleaning Tip of the day

Since I became a Mother I do try to clean safe plus quickly. My cleaning tip of today is how to clean your microwave!

What you need:
Paper Towels or a small clean towel
Microwave safe measuring cup
Approximately 4 oz of water

Directions:
-Put the water in the measuring cup
-Put the cup into the microwave
-Boil the water (time depends but it 2 or 3 mins max!)
-DO NOT open the door immediately let the steam get the microwave wet for about a minute
-Take out the cup and wipe out the microwave with the towel and even use the hot water to wipe off any extra stuck on stuff by dipping the towel in the water
-Finally let the microwave stay open for a few hours to let it dry out then you are DONE

It is super simple and so easy! Also makes the microwave sparkle again with minimal time!

Clip What?

Clip a toddlers finger and toe nails! Whoa you say! I have a good trick with my child to get him to hold still and let me clip his nails. He even lets me file them and take a tooth brush to them so I can clean them good. The trick is water funtastic!! I set him on the countertop in the bathroom putting his feet and hands in the sink letting the water run so he can play while I get it all done!! Sometimes I even let him watch a little tv if he is sleepy and do it then too but that is what works for us!

Here are the tools we use:

I'm Packing

Packing our new favorite snack that is! I ALWAYS carry some type of snack in my purse and car just in case we get off our eating schedule. Most of the time I do try to eat healthy foods, but I am not perfect so sometimes we eat terrible foods too!! Our little sprout is a typical picky eater therefore if I find something that works to get him calories I will take it! Just yesterday I found an awesome snack called crunchies. It is now my favorite! The ingredients on the back says just the fruit dried and I've had tons before and none taste as fresh as these!! So tasty with NO additional sugar added... even better! I get so excited when I find things near us like this because the selection of grocery stores are not good.

Here they are for all to see our new fav snack we are packing:

Spicy Saturday

Today we took a trip to Bed Bath & Beyond where we got spicy with organizing our spices with this neat little spice stacker organizer! Check it out - I'm going to purchase a few more because we are some spice loving people and have way more than 18 bottles to store:

How to fold a fitted sheet - DON'T

Don't fold fitted sheets just stuff the sheets in a pillowcase! They tuck nicely into our closet plus as much as I change the sheets due to all of us having allergies it also saves a lot of time when folding laundry!! BTW please do not tell my Grandmother or yours you do this because you might get a frown :)! Happy folding day though!!!

DIY - French with a twist

As you know I totally love gel nail polish because it doesn't hurt my real nails but it lasts long, it drys fast, and it reinforces the strength of your nails so they are stronger! I just tried an experiment with my at home gel polish system which I find to be as good as going to the salon! Talk about an automatic $45+ savings each time after the first time you use it!!!

Anyway, I used the Sensationails brand of gel polish do it at home starter kit. As you can see by the photo below it comes with the light to cure the polish, gel polish color, clear base/top coat, cleaning solution, Emory board, cuticle pusher, wipes, and primer. I think I paid $40 at Walmart for it and I've already used it at lease 5 times and I still have a lot left so lots of money savings!!!

My experiment was to apply a regular nail polish as a French tip and only use the primer and base/top clear coat to see how long it would last. Here are the steps I used:
1. Clean nails with cleaner
2. Apply primer
3. Apply thin layer of base/top clear coat and cure that under light for 30 second beep on the light
4. Wiped with cleaner to shine
5. Applied regular clear tape to top of nails
6. Used Julep nail polish in a pale pink to paint above tape to create a French tip
7. Allowed polish to dry and removed tape (cleaned up any hard edges with a q-tip doused in acetone)
8. Applied another layer of the clear base/top coat and cured for 60 seconds
9. Wiped off with cleaner to shine

So far after a week only one nail had a problem where the regular polish French tip was. I think it was because I didn't cap that nail good enough and that is so important because all the others still look great!!! Next I am going to use my 2am me time for some pedicure nail art!! :)

Home Improvement: Front Porch

We have lived in our house for about 4 years now and the front porch is a wonderful place we enjoy all year. Over the last few years we have noticed how quickly the paint faded, cracked, and started to peel. To fix this situation we decided to take on the home improvement project of hiring a professional to sand the porch and finish it just like you would indoor floors but with outdoor quality materials. This solution should last for five years until we need to put another top coat on the wood again. We are also having the front two steps replaced due to the quality of those steps needing an upgrade. I am very excited about this project and will post step by step progress photos this week so you can see the transformation too!!!
Photos of the progress and final product:

Gel Nail Polish Removal - DIY

First I must say I strongly dislike the smell of acetone therefore after discussing removal of gel nail polish by sitting with my hands in acetone I was looking for a better more relaxing solution. After much research I found the golden ticket. Here is the step by step:
What you need - 100% acetone, 2x2 cotton squares, 10 pieces of aluminum foil, cuticle pusher, place to relax for 15 minutes

1st take the cotton square and get it wet with the acetone
2nd place the wet square on top of the polish
3rd take the foil and wrap it around the cotton square tight
4th leave it on for 15 minutes
5th take off foil (polish should look cracked and dry)
6th take the cuticle pusher beginning near the cuticle push up to push the polish off
7th all done but optional you could add some oil to moisturize your nails

Love gel nails they last so long! Really happy you can remove them this way! Hope this helps you too!!!

BEAUTY PRODUCT JUNKIE-NESS

I enjoy testing tons of different beauty related products. Because a lot of family/friends know this about me they always ask how I can get things cheap to try. In answering I tell them that most of the time I just get samples for free or wait till something I want to try goes on sale. Recently I've had some people ask me about beauty product subscriptions. Since I am a penny pincher I normally wouldn't dream of joining a monthly subscription for ANY reason but for my birthday I did join several that are cancel anytime subscriptions just to try them out.

Here are my conclusions from them:
1. Julep Maven - Nail colors, hand care products, pedi products, and such along those lines.
WEBSITE:Julep Maven
REVIEW: I was happy with the quiz selection for me because I got two beautiful and quality nail colors (each retails $14), an Eco friendly bag, and a hand scrub all for $19.99/month. Like I said before you can cancel anytime (which is true), you can mail a box to a family member or friend, you can skip a month anytime, and what I like is that it all is without additional charge or hassle! I really did love the products and I got a LOT more than I thought I would for the money! I would recommend this to anyone who needs a different nail color monthly because you would be saving money for sure by doing this.

2. Birch box which is my personal FAVORITE because this subscription is right up my alley! It has a wide variety of skincare, nail care, hair products, and lots more.
WEBSITE: Birchbox
REVIEW: They select several name brand tried and true new plus some old goodies and send them to you with great descriptions on use. Really loved my first box even though I did think the samples were too small because I loved each one of them. In my first box I got a nail color, face cream, body lotion tinted, hair band, perfume, and a sample note card. This subscription costs $10/month and it is TOTALLY worth it because I'm thinking now about purchasing the full size of at least two products. Again it is cancel anytime, send your monthly box to a friend, skip a month, plus other great perks as well! Thinking about keeping this one because it is something just for me that isn't going to break the family budget.

3. Little Black Bag - handbags, home decor, jewelry, ect.
WEBSITE: Little Black Bag
REVIEW: First, this one is pricey so I would only go this route if you are an extreme shopper and you need to shop but get $100 worth of products for $49.95/month. Again you can do this just one month to send you or a family member or friend a little black bag and it is really neat stuff on occasion from a few good designers. The way this one works is you pick one item you like then the designers select two more items they think you would like. If you do not like the two items they selected before you checkout you do have an option to trade someone that might want one of your products which is pretty neat. I am going to cancel this because it is more for handbags not beauty products but it was a fun one time deal plus I might use this site for good fun friend/family gifts too in the future!

4. Test Tube is a new one that I want to try but I haven't because I went a little hog wild on my birthday and spent my limit on the ones above but I'll possibly try this one another month. It is $29.95 per month plus shipping so it should be awesome but like I said I didn't try that one yet.
WEBSITE: Test Tube by New Beaty

Hope you enjoyed my reviews of my birthday testing experiment of these subscription. I am going to note that I am canceling all of these except birch box because it was my favorite plus the cheapest too!! If you want to have a subscription let me know because they do have a great referral program where we both get goodies if you use my link!!! :)

Family Tree Project

Just got a little idea to make a family tree in our baby's room. Here is the first step and I will add more as time goes on:

Watch me

Recently I started to like watches and when I say like I mean like BIG TIME. Pun is intended but it is also serious because I love Tag (who doesn't) which are swiss and I also started liking invicta as well. SO I purchased a invicta (for way less than reg price) and I must say I really like it! I even like the cute awesome box it came in too!! Take a look at my recent Hautelook purchase:

May is FUN

First let's just get this out of the way... quoted from Winnie the pooh Tigger in fact "You cannot have fUn without you in the middle"!!!! May is one of my fun months because it's my husbands birthday, my birthday, mothers day, and wedding anniversary celebration month!! During this time we do tons of family activities and of course take lots of photos! Here are a few so far: