Etc. Archives | Page 77 of 254

Our Sunday Best

June 3, 2014~ Etc.

His Sunday best: suspender-necktie onesie: Coco and Beau || moccasins: Freshly Picked

Her Sunday best: top: H&M || skirt: GAP || moccasins || purse: local leather shop

My Sunday best: embellished dress || blue ankle strap heels

My daughter let me dress her again and I told her she could pick any shoes she wanted and she picked her adorable moccasins from Freshly Picked. She says she doesn’t even feel like she has shoes on because it’s so light! It’s her go-to shoes when she wants to be the most comfortable. As for my dress, I’ve always been obsessed with embellishments and embroidery and I’ve been noticing they are in trend now. This dress is from Eshakti which they graciously offered for me to try and I got to custom size this dress and change the length of the dress. This dress fits me perfectly! Many dresses on their site you can add and change the sleeve type, the length, and the necklines, it’s pretty awesome. Use OurlifeS to get 10% OFF, valid until 6/28/14.

Our dog Achilles has been hanging outside all the time because he’s shedding like crazy due to the hot weather. I feel like an even worse dog owner that he never gets to come inside the house. Do you like his Sunday best? 😉

Cavities, oh you darn cavities

June 2, 2014~ Etc.

If there’s one subject I am passionate about and can definitely improve on, is oral hygiene for my kids. So When Aquafresh through their partnership with POPSUGAR offered compensation and sample of their toothbrush & toothpaste for my 9 month old son, I researched into it and agreed to work with them only after I was satisfied it was a good enough product to use on my baby, and something I can recommend to family, friends & my readers. I am very particular with which brands I work with and only work with them if I truly believe in the product. As always, the wring and the opinions are all my own.

My girls and I went to the dentist for our 6 month check-up a few weeks ago. I always get nervous taking them because like me, they’re prone to getting cavities. My oldest daughter had two mini root-canals and 6 fillings when she was only 2 1/2 years old and let me tell you, it was not cheap! We nervously walked into the dentist and I was crossing my fingers that they’d be cavity free. They took x-rays and cleaned our teeth and told us the results. My youngest daughter who’s 5 years old was cavity-free! Hooray! But that was only because she had 1 extraction & 7 cavities worked on a few weeks prior. She better be cavity free! And my oldest daughter who’s 6 years old had 6 cavities I was told. She lost 4 baby teeth and grew in 4 adult teeth within the last year and out of the 4 adult teeth, she had 3 cavities in them. So only one adult teeth was cavity free. Sigh.

We give them fluoride, brush their teeth at least twice a day, floss their teeth daily, but they’re just prone to getting cavities. My dentist told me it was genetics, that if one of the parents gets cavities really easily, then chances are the kids will have it too. That just sucks. And it makes me feel bad that they got it from me since Jay’s only had one cavity in his life!

So with my 9 month old son, I am determined to keep meticulous care of his teeth. Did you know that compared to your tooth enamel, your baby’s is 50% thinner? That’s why babies need expert protection. So when Aquafresh, The little mouth experts ™ contacted me to write a review of their new toothpaste that’s intended for 3-24 months, I researched with skepticism at first. But when I read that the toothpaste is fluoride-free, no artificial colors or preservatives with natural flavor of apple-banana that taste like many baby foods, I thought, “I think I might like this product, I want to try it on my son!” After doing Whole30, I’ve become an organic lover, and lover of no artificial colors or preservatives, so this fit right in.

My son Aiden loved chewing on the toothbrush, especially since he’s teething And he loved the apple-banana flavor, but that comes as no surprise since he’s LOVED everything and anything we put in his mouth so far. I am so glad he’s the least pickiest eater, it makes my life easier! Before getting the Aquafresh toothbrush, I researched and read that I should start wiping his teeth with wet cloth as soon as he gets his first tooth so I’ve been doing that but the toothbrush is very soft and gentle so I feel comfortable using that toothbrush on his cute little teeth. All 6 of them. We started brushing and wiping his teeth early on so he’s used to it but sometimes he needs a little distraction or a little fun to his routine and my husband and I make an excellent team! My husband always tickles Aiden so that he laughs and his mouth is wide open and I can reach in his mouth to brush his teeth. Now when I hold the toothbrush in front of him, he knows what’s coming and starts laughing on his own. It’s pretty much the cutest thing to watch.

Click here to download the FREE Aquafresh app, with catchy songs, points and ways to make brushing fun for your little kid. “Please use product as directed on label.

And if some of you are the lucky ones that are in the “cavity free club”, know that I am so jealous! Please share your secrets!

Extravaganza

May 30, 2014~ Etc.

Adi’s school had their annual extravaganza where they have auctions, bake sale, games & food to raise money for their school.

the girls participating in the flash mob dance.

I made 20 s’more brownies for the bake sale and they were all sold within a short amount of time!

I wanted to win this at the auction but it went way higher than I’d be willing to pay.

But isn’t it so cute? It’s a cake stand made out of wood!

My happy boy. He makes me so happy.

My boob hurts and then I get bitter

May 29, 2014~ Etc.

Wasn’t that a catchy title? Haha, but seriously guys, I’m not joking. I don’t know if I have mastitis or thrush or what, but lately my boob has been hurting so bad. Just one boob. Only after I feed him. About 10 minutes after I feed him, it starts to hurt, like someone’s holding 50 needles and is poking the inside of my boob over and over again. It lasts for about an hour and the first 20 mins., I try to tough it out and lie on the bed with me grabbing my boob and screaming in pain when the pain hits every 30 seconds or so that lasts for about 6 seconds each. It’s like a contraction in your boob. Maybe my boob is having a baby, guys. So the first 20 mins., I endure it pretty well but then after the 20 minutes, I get a little angry. Then 30 mins. into it, I get super angry and bitter. Every time Jay walks by I yell, “And you’ve never felt 1 ounce of pain!!!” I’m laughing as I’m saying this but I am bitter that he’s not feeling any physical pain associated with his children. Isn’t it so unfair that men have never felt even 1 ounce of pain of pregnancy, morning sickness, labor, epidural, IV, recovery, first poop after delivery, c-section, nursing, engorgement, weaning(I hear that’s really painful, I’m scared!) or episiotomy? Seriously, doesn’t it make you mad? It makes me sad. Especially when 50 needles are poking my boob for an hour straight. It makes me mad and bitter.

Anyway, there’s no other point to this story except to say it makes me mad. If I had magic and could create any world I wanted, I would at least make men breastfeed if they’re not giving birth! One or the other, that’s only fair! The end. End of rant. Goodbye.

Giveaway for mamas with boys

May 28, 2014~ Etc.

(starting clockwise:)

moccasins || custom portrait || striped beanie || suspenders & bow-tie set ||

leather sole booties || snap-on bowtie onesie || t-shirt

We have an awesome giveaway for you mamas with little boys of yours! I hand selected these shops myself and reached out to them because I would personally buy each one of these items for my son. People say it’s way more fun to dress girls, but I think it’s just as fun to dress boys! Suspenders, bow-ties, suits, beanies, there’s nothing cuter than a little man sporting these looks. So I’m excited to host this giveaway for you deserving mamas! This giveaway is open to U.S residents only.

A lucky winner will win all of the following: