5 minute mommy makeover...

Sometimes you have a few rough nights dealing with night terrors that result in a very tired mommy the next morning.  That's been my life recently.  And despite the fact that I have nowhere to go today I just felt like I needed a little face pick me up this morning.  I'm a lotion and little bit of mascara girl.  No fancy stuff for me...but I did discover a few products that help me amp things up.

Younique is a company known for its 3d Fiber Lashes.  All I can say is WOW!  I love them!  I added their BB Flawless Complexion Enhancer and now this lotion girl can have a touch of coverage without that yucky foundation mask feeling that I hate!  Add a touch of Lucrative Mineral Lip Gloss in Luxe and voilà mommy looks awake and ready for the day in less than 5 minutes!

Here is my face half made up with just those 3 products.  The eye with the Moodstruck lashes definitely looks more awake and my lips look fuller with just that tiny touch of color and shine.  The BB cream just adds a bit of evenness to my skin and in the dry of winter I find that it also helps to keep my skin soft.  Don't worry I did go back and do the other half of my face after I took that photo...

(Also please ignore my poor drowned rat hair)

If you are interested in any of the products shown, please visit my page or email me 

*I do make a small commission for product sales but the thoughts are all my own.

Toddler Valentine's Day Party...

We've had a frigid, very snowfilled winter so to offset some of the cabin fever I decided to be brave and invite all of Juniper's friends and mommies for a Valentine's Day party.  We had a blast!  I made some special party snacks and crafts and thought I would share them with you.

I made Juniper the large white felt Valentine's Day envelope to hold all her Valentines and gifts.  I still need to add some ribbons so it can be tied to her chair for future Valentine's days.  I got the idea from Pottery Barn but it was very easy to make myself.  I made smaller felt envelopes to hold the cards for her friends.  Juniper and I also made little cinnamon hearts for the mommies.  I love to hang them in my closet or tuck one inside my sock drawer.

For food we had broccoli cheddar quiche with little mini kiddo sized ones also.  I used almond milk instead of cream and left some of the minis cheese free for those with dairy intolerance.  We also had little heart shaped pb&j sandwiches, mini muffins, popcorn and lots of fruit.

A few of the kids even participated in a craft project.  We strung cheerios onto pipe cleaners and they have become my go to mess free snack.  They are perfect for in the car too!  Happy Valentine's Day!

Today I am sad...

Today I am sad.  I have many reasons to be happy, the biggest of which is sleeping on my lap right now, but today is a melancholy day.

Two years ago around this exact time I was headed to the ER.  Two years ago I lost my third little angel and almost my own life.  Two years ago I lost hopes and dreams and a little piece of my soul.

A lot of joy has come into my life during the past two years.  I can't downplay all the happiness that remains.  But...I will never be the same as I was before that day two years ago.  I'm not sure if I would want to be.

I am so blessed to have Juniper but I long for my angels.  I can't help but wonder about them.  Would they have my eyes, daddy's smile, their little sister's giggle?  When Juniper hits a milestone I imagine them going thru one of their own.  I love them so much even though I never got to hold them in my arms.  I do get to hold them in my heart.  I always will.

Today I shed a few tears in this quiet moment for them.  Mamma loves you and misses you...

Tea Tree Oil is amazing...

Let's talk essential oils, specifically Tea Tree Oil.

I wish I knew more about essential oils and their uses and hopefully someday I will but for now the oil that I use on a daily basis is tea tree oil.  I know there are hundreds of uses for tea tree oil so I lucked out when Apothecary Extracts sent me a bottle of their Australian Tea Tree Oil to try out.  Not only is it an amazing deal but every order comes with a 100 page digital guide on the science behind the oil as well as 53 recipes so you can start using the oil to its full potential!

Currently I use it as part of my cloth wipe solution since it fights against bacteria, fungus and viruses. Kill those germs!  I also add a few drops to my cloth diaper laundry routine.

Tea tree oil can help with multiple skin conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, ringworm, staph infection, sunburn, bug bites, warts, skin tags, boils, corns, dry skin/dandruff, calluses, chicken pox marks, dermatitis, hives, jock itch, scars and scratches.  Using recipes from the guide will help you cleanse your skin in a much more natural way without a lot of the harsh chemicals added to over the counter remedies.

Wouldn't you love to have an antiseptic spray for cuts and scrapes using tea tree oil, lavender, aloe vera and other simple ingredients instead of something from the pharmacy with ingredients you can't pronounce?  How about a toilet cleanser using tea tree oil, lemon, vinegar and baking soda?  I know I'd feel more comfortable having my daughter around that instead of highly noxious bleach fumes.

I can't wait to start implementing this amazing oil into more aspects of my life!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Happy first birthday...

Let's see if I can write this post without crying...it's time to share my labor and delivery story...

Today is August 9, 2014, 9:15am last year at this time I was driving myself to the hospital to get hooked back up to the monitors after being in preterm labor and on bed-rest for four days.  I had a bit of mother's intuition that it would be the day but that was definitely not in my doctor's plan.

My pregnancy was not an easy one. I had severe morning (umm "morning" is such a lie it was all-day-every-day) sickness for the first 7 months.  I still continued to get sick 3-4 times a week for the remainder, but that was a relief from the 4+ times a day!  I had plantar fasciitis in both feet and every step was like walking on hot pokers, my feet still have not fully recovered.  But, despite all that I loved being pregnant!

My little bug was an active baby.  From that first faint, butterfly wing like movement I never went longer than 10 minutes without feeling something.  After my 3 losses the activity was such a blessing, it helped me stay connected and calmed my nerves.

We decided to keep the sex of the baby a surprise.  I had very few choices in the way my delivery would go since I was a mandatory c-section due to my uterine rupture less than a year prior.  Choosing to wait made me feel like I had some say in things.  I also think it made the delivery just a bit more special.

Now all the back story is out of the way, let's get on to the fun part...

I started having minor Braxton Hicks contractions around 34 weeks but never more than 4 an hour and only when I was active or thirsty.  I tried to relax and hydrate as much as possible.  Then at 36 weeks things really picked up.  I started having 4-6 contractions an hour no matter what I was doing.  If I was standing they were 5 minutes apart.  My doctors felt like the best thing would be to get monitored every other day and stay on bed-rest.  It was a scary week.  I knew that each contraction put my uterus at risk of another rupture but that trying to keep the baby in till 37 weeks was also important.  I did a lot of praying and a lot of talking to my little one.

The night of August 8th as I was going to bed I felt a rush of calmness and heard, "you will be holding Juniper Kai tomorrow, just relax."  I did...although the name part threw me off a bit since we had a list of girl's names and although Juniper was on it Kai wasn't.

Beau went to work the next morning and I went off to be monitored thinking about the words of the night before, I was 36 weeks 6 days.  The doctor decided I should stay that night and schedule my c-section for the next morning since I would be officially 37 weeks at that point.  I  agreed to that plan but still heard the words on repeat in my head so knew I wouldn't be spending that night alone.  After a few hours my contractions started to lengthen.  They were 5 minutes apart and lasting for 10-15 minutes each.

The nurses were not happy with how fast I was progressing and they pumped me full of fluids and had me adjust positions trying to slow things down.  The anesthesiologist came up to speak to me and prep me for the next day.  The look on his face as he watched the monitor was priceless.  He kept asking how I was managing to be calm and talk to him while contracting like that.

While finishing the pre-op work up  my precious baby started to have some heart rate decelerations.  I knew to adjust my position and that helped but they paged my doctor quickly.  She decided we couldn't wait any longer and I called Beau and told him it was time.

Ok, welling up a bit now...

Beau seemed a bit on edge but I was all smiles heading into the or.  I was ready to meet my baby.  I heard my doctor say, "Wow, look at those eyelashes, this had better be a girl!"  And then there she was, August 9, 5:02pm, the most beautiful little baby girl I had ever seen!  What, you think I'm biased?  Nope, it's true, she was perfect and you can't tell me otherwise!

Finally having her little warm body placed on mine skin to skin made me feel complete.  I was what I had always dreamed of but never thought possible, I was a mother.

I spent that whole night just staring at her and snuggling her in my arms. (I don't think she spent more than 10 minutes in the bassinet during my entire hospital stay.)  I mentally went thru our list of girl names again but there was no point.  This little miracle was, is, and ever will be, my Juniper Kai.

Now a year later and she is snuggled in my arms nursing and dozing.  I feel like all that was just yesterday but at the same time I can't imagine my life before her.  I know growing up is important and I look forward to watching her change and blossom into an amazing woman but I want to remind her that there is no rush and she should stay little as long as she can.

Happy first birthday my little bug!

Love always, Mamma

10 months...

Today my little miracle is 10 months old...how did that happen?  She's moments away from walking on her own and working on 4 new teeth.  She makes me a better person in every way...

Vitamin C Serum: the new mom's skin savior!

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

As a mom the last thing I have time for is primping and preening in front of a mirror.  Imagine my excitement when I discovered a product that has actually improved my skin to the point where I look fresh and glowing without any work!  I just apply a few drops of Valentia Skin Care's Even Glow Serum to my face and neck in the morning and rub it in like a lotion, add a little mascara and I'm done.  Over the first week or two I noticed my dark under eye circles were fading and my skin tone was more even.  I look more awake and refreshed...amazing!

As a semi-crunchy mom I also love that it boasts 98% natural ingredients, some are even organic.  I like being able to identify what I am putting on my skin.  I could try to explain everything in my own words but even though the vitamin C serum makes me look well rested I am still a tired mamma so please allow me to share their explanation of the key ingredients:

"Vitamin C: With a 20% concentration does more than boost the body’s immune system; it also provides many benefits to keep the skin tight, smooth and looking ageless. Vitamin C has been scientifically proven to reduces the effects of sun exposure on the skin, including sunburn, sun spots, redness and wrinkles.

In addition to helping reduce the signs of aging, Vitamin C is essential for everyday maintenance to strengthen and smooth out the skin, as well as neutralizing free radicals before they can damage the skin. 

***Our additional Key Ingredients below were all selected for their ability to enhance and support Vitamin C's effect on the skin. 

Organic Rosehip Seed Oil & Organic Sea Buckthorn Oil - These oils promote skin hydration and lock in moisture to protect your skin from signs of aging and improve its beauty and youthfulness. Rosehip Oil specifically has been used in medical communities around the world for those with serious skin ailments and only recently has North America learned to embrace natural solutions from our ancestors. These two organic oils are full of antioxidants and therefore act as the perfect supporting cast for our best friend - Vitamin C

Resistem (Plant Stem Cells) - This provides the perfect mix of protection from stress-related aging and promotes skin detoxification. Resistem will help your skin regenerate faster while protecting it from environmental stressors.

Hyaluronic Acid (Botanical) - Holding up to 1000 times its weight in water and drawing moisture out of the environment and onto the surface of your skin ,there is not a more effective moisturizing agent on the market today. Penetrates deeply, and actives collagen production for a fresher, younger, firmer, and brighter complexion

Green Tea Extact- The catechins in green tea are a potent antioxidant which also contribute to the overall anti-inflammatory and anti-irritant benefits of this ancient health and beauty secret."

Ok back to my thoughts...I love it!  The only drawback that I found is that because the vitamin C serum flushes the toxins from the pores it can cause a little acne flair up in the beginning.  To me it was a small price to pay for happy, healthy skin, and it was a very minor issue.  The company has some amazing tricks for facial masks and are quick to respond if you have any questions or concerns.  Again, I love this product and plan on using it forever!

If you are interested in trying it out yourself it is easily available thru amazon and does qualify for free shipping.  A little bit goes a long way so you do get your money's worth.  If you do try the vitamin C serum I would love to hear what you think.  I hope you love your new, fresh skin just as much as I do!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.