Threading

So, today, after like 2 months, I finally got my eyebrows done.  I wasn't waiting for any particular reason.  I just finally had a chance to go without having to deal with my toddler.  I feel like eyebrows frame your face and when they are shaped well they can make a huge difference.  There are several ways you can go about keeping them manicured-tweezing, waxing, shaving or threading.  I have tried all of these methods and thankfully my eyebrows grew back after some of my mishaps.  The method that works the best for me has been threading.  I don't have any idea how the women use a piece of thread to remove the hair, but its the coolest thing to watch being done.  I am unsure where it originated but have only seen it being done by Middle Eastern and Indian women. It seems to last longer and doesn't hurt as much as waxing.  I have been going to an Indian salon for 8 years now.  They do great work, are inexpensive ($7) and as long as I don't go on a Friday evening, I am in and out of there.


Before

After

Which method works best for you?

What we're reading 3, kind of...

Currently, I am not reading anything!  Except skimming through the occasional magazine.  Usually, its Real Simple.  During the day, I don't have time to read and in the evening, I don't feel like it.  I just want to veg out and watch a marathon of something good on TV.  Currently, we are watching The Wire.  Now that is some good TV!!!  I won't give any spoilers.  We are on the last season and I could watch all the episodes in one night, but I don't want it to end.  It's a show that follows a group of detectives and various "bad guys"-drug dealers, politicians, etc. in Baltimore. So, if you are having a break from reading and haven't already seen this show, check it out.

Onto the kids.  Currently, Mena is into Olivia and the Missing Toy and pretty much any book from the Olivia series.  The books are written by Ian Falconer .  The stories, which feature a pig named Olivia are funny and I really enjoy the minimalistic illustrations.

Idris is totally into zombie and comic books, as well as, graphic novels.  However, he has summer reading to complete, so we had to pick something off of the approved list.  He chose Hoot, by Carl Hiaasen.  It's about a boy who's new in town, who befriends some other kids and they try to prevent the destruction of an owl colony.  He's not that far into the book yet, but says "It's Cool," which translates to "I haven't made my mind up about this book yet."  Anyway, the book won a Newberry Award, so it must be pretty good.

What are you guys reading this summer?

Greenery

It's funny that I enjoy plants now.  As a child I couldn't stand them.  My mother had and still has a ton of them and they were always blocking the windows.  However, things have changed and I grew to appreciate them.   This is one of the "mini-gardens" in her place.

I love this space and look to it for inspiration.  One of the things I didn't inherit was my mother's green thumb.   It's crazy but I even manage to kill succulents, which is supposed to be one of the easiest type of plants to maintain.  I have about 7 plants and they have been the lucky bunch that have survived living with me.   They are mostly tropical plants and I have found that putting them outside until the temperature dips helps to rejuvenate them.  One plus for our yucky east coast heat and humidity!  I water them every few days or so, weather depending.  

I wish I had taken before shots, so you could see how they looked before.  I will probably be adding two more plants soon, a snake plant and something else that's hard to kill! 

Do you guys have any tips to share?

Adventures in road-tripping with a newborn and a toddler-Saratoga Springs, NY

Finally!!! The baby is napping, my daughter is out with Nana and the oldest is away at camp.  I am sitting in my childhood home which my mother has made into her own garden oasis.  I am enjoying a lovely cup of coffee and I have time to post!
Last Saturday, we drove our son up to The Adirondacks to attend summer camp.  On our way home, we stopped in Saratoga Springs, which was beautiful.
We had the younger two, so getting pics was a bit of a challenge since my daughter is still adjusting to the new baby and has become very clingy.
Anyhow, we spent time in Saratoga Spa State Park, which looks like one of those gorgeous college campus's from 80's films, but better and bigger.  There are big plush lawns and buildings from a time when beautiful architecture was appreciated.  There are geysers throughout the park and many have been tapped so you can just pull up and fill up your water bottles right there!  Which, many folks were doing.  People even pulled out there huge 5 gallon bottles (several of them at a time.)
We enjoyed walking in the springs, until my daughter didn't enjoy it.  She's at a stage where she likes something and then doesn't like it within seconds.  She's suddenly scared of bugs and the cloud of dirt that formed in the water when she moved, and a numerous amount of other things.  She has a strong personality and wants what she wants IMMEDIATELY, ha!  We also did a brief hike because my husband didn't pack the back pack to carry her and we didn't want to have to carry her all the way back.
After the park, we decided to head to the Downtown area, which was full of people and plenty of restaurant options.  We chose a Mexican restaurant and ate the quickest meal ever for several reasons.  It was noisy inside and too hot outside.  Also, it was the witching hour for Mena, so she wasn't into sitting in her high chair or with Daddy, and recently she's started doing this high pitched screaming-thing and then laughing when she's getting tired.  So we took a short walk around and grabbed some ice cream and headed to NYC.  FYI Ben and Jerry's has cotton candy ice cream that is soooooo good!
The ride home was lovely......NOT!  The baby wanted to nurse about every 45 minutes-1 hour, so a 3 hour trip turned into 5 1/2 hours by the time we hit the lovely traffic at Lincoln tunnel.  Thankfully, there was a parking spot waiting for us, which is huge here!
All in all, it was a lovely day!  We would definitely like to head back there and stay over for a few nights to enjoy the many mineral spring spas, visit the park again and try some different restaurants, but definitely not until the kids are a little older.

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.

What we're reading

I love to read but definitely don't set aside enough time for it.  I am trying to change that.  So every so often I will try to post what books are being read in my house.

Me

It's a story about an African couple who are apart and rekindle their relationship.  I just started it and so far it has rekindled my love with reading!

Idris

It's a survival story for tweens about going to sleepaway camp.  My eleven year old loves this series!

Mena

Her absolute favorite book.  She requests it every night and has started to memorize it and yells out words during certain parts!

What are you guys reading this month?

Baby #3!!!!!!

I am so excited to say that we have another little one on the way!  I am over halfway there and can definitely say I have felt so much more, so much sooner the third time around.
That's partially been the reason why I haven't been posting as much.  In the beginning I felt like CRAP! And, now at 25 weeks, I am exhausted.  I guess its a mixture of being older, having more responsibilities and mainy having a one year old. Either way, life goes on and I have just slowed down my activities.
I have had so much on my mind recently with planning and anxiety about having 2 in diapers and how I will handle the new responsibilities.  I know millions of women do it but for me its hard to imagine how until I am in the thick of it!  I just keep telling myself to resign my brain to the idea that I will be kind of crazy for the next 2-3 years! Ha!

December Treats

It's cold and snowing so I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things for the Winter.

1. HOT COCOA 2. VITAMIN E CREAM 3. COCONUT BODY BUTTER 4. NAIL POLISH 5. BOOTS 6. THE SNOWY DAY

Enjoy!

A much needed rest

Hey there! I was in dire need of some rest from everything.  So, I haven't been posting, or picking up much time at work and have just been focusing on my family.  Since my last post much has happened.  I lost my mother in law to cancer.  That has got to be one of the most devastating, aggressive diseases out there.  This is the second family member I have watched be taken by this disease and no matter how often you experience it, nothing quite prepares you for the end.
I had a birthday, which in spite of what was going on, we still had an enjoyable dinner.  My husband seemed to enjoy doing something nice to get his mind off of things.  I was also the Matron of Honor at my sister's wedding, took a trip Down South with my husband(post coming soon)and enjoyed Thanksgiving with almost all of my family except for one brother (that's a first for us since everyone is so spread out.)
I wish I could say I read some great books and did some cleaning out of things or took a class, but the truth is I just did the mundane day to day activities and vegged out in front of the TV and took naps in the middle of the day, which is great, by the way.  I think I have had my fill for the most part and am ready for some new activities, which means....New Posts!

So, enough about me...what have you all been up to?

New projects, New me

Reading all these other blogs has made me realize I need to start taking advantage of my time and take on some new projects.  Things I have been putting off learning how to do for a variety of reasons/excuses/laziness!  Things that are purely selfish....but in an indirect way will be enjoyed by everyone.

The first is sewing.  My mother and sister both know how to sew and my mom used to make her own clothing.  I am so jealous, I can't even hem a pair of pants.  It's really bad!  I was able to mend my son's pants and sew on some patches but I mean  really sewing with a machine and patterns (I think that's what they're called).  Luckily, for me, my sister gave me a sewing machine last year.  My girlfriend mentioned that Joanne's has a class and guess who's signing up?!  I will have to let you know how that goes.

Next up is photography.  I truly enjoy looking at images and took a photography class in high school.  It was so cool developing the film and learning how to get the shot that I wanted.  However, priorities changed and truthfully I didn't focus enough on it to be as good as I believe I can be.  So, thanks to my birthday present from my awesome hubby about 5 years ago, I will be getting lots of practice in with my Nikon D50.  Obviously, a class would be helpful but I don't have the time and I think just getting out and shooting will do wonders.

Lastly, and this is the biggest task is redesigning our home.  I am a late bloomer in the self-discovery area.  It has taken me a long time to be cool with myself and not be so concerned with what others think about what I am doing, or wearing or whom I'm hanging with.  I mention that because I think that your home should represent who you are as an individual and I don't feel that mine does.  Mostly, because I am still figuring out who I am, what I like, my interests and taking time to learn new crafts.  So, this project will be ongoing.  But, occasionally I will post little changes we make!

Do you have any new projects you are looking forward to starting?

Autumn

I'm back!  I got exceptionally busy the past few weeks and am finally starting to slow down and realized I haven't made a post in 3 weeks!  Anyway, we are officially in one of my favorite seasons.  I had my first pumpkin spice latte, ummmmhhhhh, what a treat!  Soccer season has started.  We visited a farm and got some caramel corn, gourds and Indian corn.  I got my fall decor, mums and pumpkins and finally rocked a pair of boots!

What things do you do to enjoy yourself during this season?

It's (groan) Back to School time!

It's that time of year again and I have to say, I am not looking forward to it.  I can't stand coming up with cold lunch ideas daily, dealing with the hustle and bustle that goes along with getting children out the door by a certain time, the millions of papers that he brings home, fundraising (it's hard for me to sell things I'm not interested in), and homework.
I have the child that has said almost since day one, "I don't like school!"  Learning, Yes!  School, No! And, with the education system the way it is now, I can't say I can blame him.  School is not what it used to be.  Kids have to take a placement test for kindergarten, I mean, how ridiculous is that?!  He did fine on it, but nowadays if you haven't sent your child to preschool or homeschooled them, they may not be ready for kindergarten.
Children aren't given as much time for recess, gym, lunch or free time.  The curriculum just keeps being added to and I feel bad for the teachers because they aren't allowed to be as creative because their reviews as educators are contingent upon the scores students receive on standardized testing.  My son's first grade teacher once told me that she liked to take her students for a walk in the afternoon, especially during the fall and spring months, so the children could have a break and learn about nature, at the same time...she had to stop because social studies was added to the curriculum and she didn't have time for that anymore.
Anyway, my child is what one might call a kinesthetic learner.  He learns best through "doing."  So, for him having to sit in a chair for hours (literally, the children have multiple reading lessons for 2 1/2 hours) is torture.  Needless to say, the principal and I are on a first name basis.  Our current school system is a horrible fit for HIM.  I say that in caps because it is not a horrible system, there are some great teachers, he goes to gym 3 times a week and music twice a week (our budget has been cut, but not as much as in other systems.)  Private school is not an option at this time, nor is homeschool (been there, done that.)
So, today was the start of another year.  I will continue to be optimistic, like always, that this time will be better and we won't trudge through another year.  This year he's going into the 5th grade and its his last year of elementary school.  I was excited and sad.  The Boy is definitely growing up, as he should, but a part of me wishes I could keep that sweet little boy forever!

Do you look forward to back to school time?  How do you prepare for it?  How was the first day for your children?

Shrimp and Okra...oh yeah!

Last weekend we took a stroll over to the farmer's market and I get super excited when I saw these okra.  We purchased a crate for $3 and here is the recipe for what I did with them:

Okra and Shrimp Creole

1 lb. Okra, sliced
1 lb. wild Shrimp
1 15oz. tomato sauce
1 15oz. diced tomatoes with green chiles
1/2 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, add1 tbsp olive oil, heat over a medium flame.  Add onions and green peppers and saute until onions are translucent.  Add garlic and stir until tender.  Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, stir.  Add chili powder, cayenne and thyme.  Add okra and simmer for  15-20 min.  Meanwhile, fill a small pot with water and bring to a boil.  Once boiling add shrimp and cook until shrimp begin turning pink.  Watch closely, they cook quickly.  Once they have began to turn color, remove them from pot and add them to the okra.  Turn temperature down to a low flame and allow stew to simmer and flavors to meld.  Make sure not to overcook though.  Once done, add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over steamed rice.
 Enjoy!