Making time for my girl

So the baby is finally here and.....It's a boy!!!!  Its been about a month since my last post as I have been quite busy with the  kids.  Anyway, I have learned a few tricks along these last few weeks which I will discuss in another post.  One of them has been learning how to squeeze in some much needed one on one time with my 21-month old daughter.  She is definitely in toddlerhood and although she loves her brother and is learning how to be patient, she needs her Mommy time.  So whenever I can, I try to give her my undivided attention.

Some days its impossible, and she makes do.  Today it was playing out in the backyard and a few days ago, we managed to make cookies.  The fun thing about toddlers is they enjoy doing pretty much anything.  So I do manage to get some chores done, although they take forever with my "Little Helper!"  And she loves, loves, loves going for walks.  Today, we played with her toys and then attempted to re-pot some plants.  She was scared of the earth, so I ended up repotting by myself. The gloves were a hit though!

It has definitely been more difficult to get acclimated to life with a new baby this time, but slowly, make that very slowly, we are getting there.

Do you have any tips to share?

Summer planning

It's that time of year again!  I like to sit down with my family and create a list of activities/trips we'd all like to do during the summer.  This year is slightly different because we'll have the new baby and aren't planning on taking a big trip, which has actually decreased some anxiety with having to plan and budget for it.  Also, because of this new baby and the fact that I have the entire summer off (yay...that has only happened once in my adult life!), funds are lower, so our plans can't be ostentatious!

I usually try to enroll him in day camp for a while, but he's at a weird age (too old for certain camps and too young for others), plus I will be at home so he can just hang with us.

I always check out the community paper for local events, "Like" local group pages on Facebook for great word of mouth info and check out online sites like Timeout and Uwishunu for ideas.  Also, join Living Social and Groupon for discounts.

Here's what we came up with this year.  It has pretty much the same things as last year, with a few things added in.

What summer plans do you have?

Waiting for baby...

So, I haven't posted in forever, simply because I had been so busy with work and caring for an energized toddler coupled with complete exhaustion!  I have recently gone on maternity leave, which has been great, and have finally been able to tackle my multiple home projects.  Its funny how many things can pile up when you are busy.  Plus, with the new arrival coming very soon, I had to do some organizing and clearing to make room.
As of now (I am due in a week) everything is ready and I have nothing left to do but complain!  Nature has a way of erasing the annoyances of the end of the pregnancy from your mind.  I forgot how miserable I become at his point.  Sleep is a joke, my energy has left the building, heartburn is constant and the mix of contractions, back pain, and cramping (which tease you that the big day is imminent) are all the culprits!  Also, to add to the mix, I have a super clingy toddler this go round, so everything feels that much more annoying.  As I mentioned before, I am an L&D nurse and I totally get why these women are coming to the hospital constantly, hoping to be in labor.  Alright, my venting is over!

What things did you guys do when waiting for labor to occur?

What we're reading 2

I enjoyed Americanah so much I decided to try out the second book by author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Half of a Yellow Sun.  It tells the story of two sisters during the Biafran War in Nigeria during the sixties.  Apparently, a film has already been completed and will be released this year.  Yay!  So far I have to say I am enjoying it.

For the boy, its Holes. a book about a young boy named Stanley who has been cursed with bad luck and sent to a boys detention camp when he was wrongly accused of stealing some shoes.  Its a little more difficult reading for him, which is good and presents a challenge for him.  I can't tell you how many books I have read and reread at different ages.  Each time I found a new understanding while reading.

Lastly, for the little lady.  We grabbed this book from the library and she absolutely loves it.  I will be adding it to the collection we have at home.  Its called Don't Wake Up the Bear.  Your little one will love it if you become animated while reading it.

Share any titles of books that you find awesome in the comments!

Daily Make Up

I love makeup as well as the natural look.  I have found as I've gotten older that achieving the natural look without any makeup doesn't look as great.  Here is my easy, daily makeup routine.

Prep:
Get your eyebrows manicured.  They frame you face and even if you just like to wear lip gloss, having them done makes you look more polished.   I prefer threading, but whatever floats your boat.

Wash your face with your daily cleanser and pat dry, but leave a little moisture on your face and neck.  I use Neutrogena Naturals facial wash daily and Jason apricot exfoliant twice weekly during the Winter and more often in the warmer months.

Moisturize your face and neck.  In the Winter, I use Jason Vitamin E 25, 000 units moisturizer.  In the warmer months I switch to something lighter.

Moisturize your lips.  I use Vaseline cocoa butter.  I am addicted.

If you do this everyday, or a similar routine, your skin will love you for it and will look great.

Make Up
First I apply concealer under my eyes and to my eyelids (it helps to keep your eye shadow on), then to the sides of the base of my nose and anywhere else I need concealing.  I use a make up sponge to apply it by gently dabbing it into my skin until its blended.

Next, using my kabuki brush I apply bronzer to my T zone.  I usually skip this in the summer because I have a tan and that area is highlighted already.

Then I apply a pink or coral (or whatever color would look fab on you) to the apples of my cheeks.

Lastly, I curl my lashes, which makes a huge difference and apply dark brown/black mascara to each eye.  Then I brush my eyebrows.

Some days I may add a little pizazz with a purple or turquoise eyeliner or some gold or taupe eye shadow.

I usually have this done in about 5 minutes and like the subtle difference.

Au Natural

Make Up

  What's your daily routine like?

Central Park Zoo

Last week, us here on the East Coast were treated to Spring-like weather.  I happened to be in NYC for the weekend so I decided to take the kids to the Central Park Zoo.  Its a great small zoo and has an additional children's zoo, where they can see farm animals also.  After maneuvering through the subway with the stroller (I give it up to you NYC moms who deal with that on a daily basis), we made our way streetside again and checked out the zoo.

It's priced pretty reasonable ($12 for adults and $9 for children over 2 years old, $8 for seniors) and that includes admission into the children's zoo.  We checked out the petting zoo first and Mena was excited to see the animals from afar.  Idris, whose not afraid of anything, decided to introduce Mena to the goats, which was the sweetest sight to see.  Lots of people commented when I was pregnant that I was crazy to have my children so far apart.  I have to say, its actually been nice because he helps out so much and she really looks up to him.  They have this cute little relationship and he loves being able to show her new things.

Anyway, we fed the animals and then moved on to the main zoo.  There are a few exhibits, our favorites include the sea lions, the rain forest, the snow leopards and the red pandas.  Unfortunately, the polar bears were closed.  The weather was awesome.  I actually got to walk around without my coat on and rock my shades.

If you're in the city, definitely check it out.

Turkey wraps

I hate to waste food and sometimes don't necessarily want to eat the lefties in my fridge.  Two nights ago I made turkey burgers and garlic fries.  Well, the fries were gone and I wasn't in the mood for a burger again, so today I made turkey wraps instead.  

To make them, all you need is some already cooked burgers or you can season the ground turkey meat however you like and make them from scratch.  To make my burgers from scratch, I chop one small onion, 1/2 green pepper, 5 cloves of garlic and a handful of fresh flat parsley.  I mix the veggies with the ground turkey and add salt and pepper and some worchestire sauce and let it marinate for about an hour.  Then I put them on the grill.

Anyway, back to the already cooked burgers. I heat up my cast iron skillet and add enough oil to coat the pan.  Once its hot enough, I throw in the burgers and chop them up in the skillet and heat the meat.  Once the food is hot, I turn off the flame and separate the meat into individual portions in the skillet and add 1/2 slice of cheese (I used pepperjack) or you could have it sans cheese, and I cover the skillet.

Meanwhile, I turn on a different flame on the stove ( I don't really know if you can do this with an electric stovetop) and I place my tortilla on it and flip it after about 20-30 seconds to warm it up.

I then place my tortilla on my plate, I add sliced tomatoes, raw spinach, avocado slices and finally, the ground turkey.  I also like to add some ketchup and voila, you've got another yummy meal!

This is how they turned out.