September Glam Bag

Okay, I skipped a month. I took the pictures and everything but didn't have time to post them. Next thing you know, I felt like it's too late. I got some decent stuff from the last one..

So I guess myglam is not called Ipsy. They even turned their website into something that seems like a mix of Pintrest and Facebook? I've yet to really explore it but it seems like a cool place for beauty fanatics and gurus to share their looks and loves.

 

 

 

 

Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Split End Sealer ($25)

Carol's Daughter.com

 

 



 

 

I haven't tried this yet, so I can't really comment on it. It's suppose to cure your split ends instantly. I've been meaning to try it but I keep forgetting to bring it in the shower with me.

 

 

SOHO Smudge Brush

walmart.com

 

 



Personally, I think it's a little too big and fluffy for a smudge brush. I think it would make a great crease or contouring brush (for your eyes). It's really soft and the brush is long which could good or bad depending on your preference. I'm glad I got a brush in the Glam Bag because it's something more practical than we usually get. I don't want just samples that could be used once or twice. Plus, you can never have enough brushes!

Mirabella Eye Colour in "Semiformal" $10
Mirabella.com

 

 

I'm really glad we got an eyeshadow and a shade that I can actually use. I don't think you can ever get enough neutral colors or browns although they may seem the same. One thing that I was disappointed in was that well, what if we don't have a palette to stick this in? Luckly I had an old E.L.F Custom Palette and magnet I was able to stick on the back of this so I could use it and not worry about breaking it. It was very pigmented and easy to apply.


Jane Sparkle Gloss
janecosmetics.com

So, I'm not really into lipgloss especially something so pink. I mean, all lipglosses are kind of the same to me...thick and sticky. I went on the site and the cool thing was if you get "The Friends of Jane Trio," 100% of the proceeds goes to a charity!

On another note, I got another lipgloss in the August bag that was pretty much the same color so I was a little disappointed. I would've maybe even preferred the lighter shade!


Circus by Andrea Nail Color in "Tightrope"
circusbyandrea.com

This is the third nail polish I've received from her collection. I'm excited to try out this color, it's something I don't have. I'm thinking the purple and orange (I got the orange last month) might make a good Halloween color!


Well that wraps it up for the Glam Bag. I've been thinking about cancelling because I'm not 100% thrilled about my glam bag anymore, but then it's kind of nice to have a surprise package for you every month and it's only $10. I got my tracking email for my first Glossybox today. :) I got a good voucher from R29 for $60 dollars for 3 month subscription. It seems like less of a committment if I just pay the $60 upfront instead of paying every month. Plus it's usually $22 dollars per month and I get some sort of custom special box because I did it through R29. By the way, if you're into Groupon, Living Social, Fab..you'll LOVE R29! It's similar except for fashion!

This or That Beauty Tag!

It's 9:00pm, both kiddos are asleep and the fiance is at the gym. Which means I finally get some peace and quiet to myself. Time to blog! Saw this on my sis's beauty blog, which you should check out. TheCurrentFavorite is the place to go if you're into beauty and make-up reviews!

This or That Beauty Tag!

Make-up

Blush or Bronzer? Blush, I don't think I even own any bronzer anymore!

Lipgloss or lipstick? Lipstick..lipgloss is a little too sticky for me.

Eyeliner or Mascara? Eyeliner, I don't really see a huge difference in my look with or without mascara.

Foundation or Concealer? I don't really wear foundation all over my face. I only use it right under my nose so does it count as using foundation as concealer?

Neutral or colour eyeshadow? I love my neutrals but occassionally when I'm wearing a plain white tee and jeans I go with a bright color eyeshadow.

Pressed or loose eyeshadow? Majority of the time it's pressed, but I've grown to love how loose shadows are more pigmented...but messy!

Brushes or Sponges? Brush!

Nails

OPI or China Glaze? To be honest, I don't see the reason in spending $7+ on nail polish that's just going to come off anyways. There are so many no name brands out there with the same colors and they are just as good.

Long or Short?  Short, but not super short. I use to love long nails, but now that I have kids I don't want to take the chance of scratching them on accident. Although, sometimes I just let them grow because I get lazy to cut them!

Acrylic or Natural? Never had fake nails!

Brights or Darks? I've been really into the bright nail polish trend. I love bright colors on my toes..and I don't really paint my fingernails. Although, once it gets colder out, I stick with the darker or neutral colors.

Flower or no flower? No flower. I'm a plain jane.

Body

Perfume or body spray? Casually, body spray. Sometimes I use both.

Lotion or Body butter? Lotion, body butter seems a little greasy. Although, I use the Yes to Carrots body butter as a night time hand cream.

Body wash or soap? Body wash. People still use soap bars?!?

LUSH or other bath company? I used baby wash for the longest time. Esp the bedtime one or the oatmeal one. I bought some recently from Bath and Body works but haven't gotten to it yet, so we'll see how I like them.

Fashion

Jeans or sweatpants? I can't stand wearing jeans in the house. Once I come home I change into something comfortable. So sweats for sure.

Long sleeves or short? I don't own many long sleeves. I'd say short, or tank with a cardigan?

Dresses or skirts? This summer I was all about dresses.

Stripe or plaid? Stripes!

Flip-flops or Sandals? Flip flops, sandals are too dressy for me.

Scarves or hats? Neither! Maybe berets and beanies?

Studs or dangly earrings? Studs.

Necklaces or bracelets? Neither, I don't really wear jewelry.

Heels or Flats? Flats. I love collecting heels but I never seem to have enough occassions to wear them or could suck up the pain to wear them more than once.

Cowboy boots or riding boots? Riding boots, but recently I'm looking for a good pair of combat boots!

Jacket or Hoodie? Zip up hoodies!

Abercrombie or Hollister? Abercrombie is too expensive for me so Hollister. Although, the only thing I really get there are their jeans.

Hair

Curly or Straight? Straight, but lately wavy because I'm too lazy to straighten my hair everyday.

Bun or Ponytail? Messy bun.

Bobby Pins or Butterfly Clips? How about bows bow clips :)

Hairspray or Hair Gel? Neither, but if I needed to it'll be mousse.

Long or short? Long

Side swept bangs or full? What does that mean? I have layered bangs that frames the face.

Up or Down? I like it down, but I always end up putting it up.

Random

Rain or Shine? Shine

Summer or Winter? Summer!

Autumn or Spring? Spring

Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla

East Coast or West Coast? West Coast is the best coast!

Surviving the Sixth Week and My Postpartum Body

Let me start off by saying...I can't believe it's been 6 weeks already. It feels like it has been a long time, but yet it's going by slow? I mean Trent is still a newborn to me and still getting use to things. In that sense it's slow. In reality though, next thing you know he's going to start baby food, sitting, crawling and he'll be turning 2.

It still has been kind of tough for me in the day time. He seems to be sleeping more but when he's not sleeping he seems to be crying or wants to be held. I think part of the reason why is because he's not full enough when I nurse? When I top him off with an ounce of formula he seems to knock right out or is more content. It's weird, he wants to be held upright but he fights it at the same time. He doesn't like it when I hold him in the cradle position. He's a really strong baby. He holds his head up and tries to fly out of my arms a lot. He's definitely gaining more weight and I'm still supplementing about 2-3 bottles of formula a day. I think Similac makes him constipated so I switched to Enfamil Newborn to see if it makes a difference. He just grunts and seems like he's trying so hard to poop or fart. He definitely has no problem farting though. Maybe it's just how he likes to "do his business." He still wakes up 3-4 times at night, but it's not as bad as I remembered being with Chase. I still have memories of myself in the middle of the night rocking in the chair crying with Chase because I was so tired and frustrated that every time I put him down he would just wake up and cry. But then again, I think if I did that with Trent he would do the same. My thing is I put him in the swing for about 30 minutes before I go to bed then I move him to the bassinett. In the middle of the night I feed him and put him in the swing. My intention was to do the same, let him swing for 30 minutes while I sleep on the couch and move him into the bassinett, but I always knock out til he cries again so that has been a little unsuccessful. Thank goodness for the swing though!

I'm still undecided about whether I want to continue nursing or just do straight formula after he's reached 8 weeks. I guess 8 weeks is the recommended time that you breastfeed to at least before switching to formula. I might just keep doing what I do and let me body make the decision. Formula is expensive.

On another note, let's talk about Chase. I feel really bad when it's just me and him at home and he wants my attention or wants me to play with him and I can't because I'm constantly nursing or holding the baby because he's crying. I feel bad, like I'm neglecting him. Some times, I feel like we are robbing him of his childhood of being an only child and getting all of our attention and love. I just gotta keep reminding myself that once Trent is a little older, he's going to love having a little brother. My friend Kat said that Trent is the best present I can give Chase. I gave him a little brother to play with . It's just a gift he can't use yet. I was watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Kourtney talks about how she's sad for Mason because he's not going to be an only child anymore. That's kind of how I feel. I do cherish the alone time I get with Chase when it's just me and him sitting on the couch watching T.V and I have my arms around him. Reminds me of when it was just me and him. He wants my attention so badly he always just grabs my hand and makes me sit down with him and he says "me." He has also been testing his boundaries more lately. He just stands there when I tell him to do something and looks at me. Throwing mini temper tantrums over nothing. We stand firmly in our ways of discipline. We don't budge or let him get away with anything. Even if it seems like the most tiny thing, we stand our ground. I'm a little tougher than my fiance. I think we always have to play good cop bad cop. So far, he doesn't act out of line often and some times if I catch it early he'll even stop and say sorry mama and put his head on me. I think we're doing a really good job on parenting, but no one really knows until later. I mean we are only doing what we think is right but no one can be sure. Everyone's different. We can only hope that we're doing the right thing. Yes, we believe in tough love. I do believe in spanking for the right reasons. Some parents might not agree. That's okay whatever works for you.

Here's a picture of Trent today. He's so cute when he smiles :)

My Postpartum Body (Road to Recovery Week 6)

Today I went to my doctor's appointment and I weigh 109lbs. I think I'm going to be stuck at that weight considering I was 110 a couple weeks ago. I'm actually comfortable with that weight since I've always wanted to gain a couple pounds. The thing is I have this flab on my stomach that is just fat and I think I need to exercise to get rid of that. I also have the ugliest looking belly button right now. It looks like my belly button has aged 50 years and it's all wrinkly. Time to workout!

We also talked about birth control today. I don't think I want to take the pill anymore. It's just a lot of work and I don't want to take anymore chances on having unplanned pregnancies. I was talking to my doctor about something more long term and since I'm breastfeeding the only option for me is the IUD. It's a plastic thing they place INSIDE your uterus and you leave it in for 5 years. It sounds nice, something I don't have to worry about for 5 years..but uh putting it in my uterus?!? That sounds painful! I'm going to do some research and ask around to see if anyone I know has it and give me their input on it.

 

 

As you can see, that lower gut flab thing is just not going away!!! Hopefully, exercise REALLY will take care of that..

Urban Decay Mini Haul

A couple weeks ago, Urban Decay had a clearance sale. I couldn't help myself and just decided to browse and see if there was anything I wanted. I love clearance items and sales since I'm a mom on a budget. I would feel super guilty spending $17 dollars on an eye shadow. There were eye shadows for just $6 and yes, it's still a little steep if you think about it but for Urban Decay it's a catch! Also, I've never really tried other Urban Decay products besides my 24/7 Glide on eyeliner, I wanted to see if there other products were really worth the buck.

 

 

I ended up getting 4 eyeshadows in colors that I don't really have. I went for something bright since I had a lot of neutrals already and neutrals you can get anywhere. I also suckered myself into getting the mascara because it was only $5 dollars and it's supposedly going to be a discontinued product. The reviews were also really good. You can't even get a drugstore brand mascara for $5!

 

Vintage Big Fatty Mascara

 

 

 

 

So yes, the brush is pretty big. I would say it's better than the drugstore brand but compared to the Benefit's BADgal mascara that I got as a sample. I kind of prefered the BADgal one more. I didn't get an OMG this is so amazing and my lashes looks drastically longer and fuller reaction. Maybe later I'll do a picture of it on my lashes, that would probably help..

 

 

Vintage Eyeshadows

 

 



 

From left to right: Perversion, Minx, Flash, Goddess

 

 

So originally, these are $17, I got them for $6. The first picture is with flash so you can see the shimmer in some of the colors. The description on the site btw, is a real seller. They make it sound awesome. I've only tried the minx and the goddess so far. They are very pigmented and the Minx shadow even has big chunks of glitter in them.

 

Overall, I think they're products are decent. I like that the shades are true to color and I'm a sucker for awesome packaging. I even got some free samples that I have yet to try.

Surviving the Fourth & Fifth Week and My Postpartum Body Road to Recovery

So last week, I didn't get to post. It has been hard since baby Trent doesn't seem to sleep. I know right? What kind of baby doesn't sleep?? The perks of having a newborn is that they sleep a lot. Even if they aren't sleeping, they usually just hang out. I guess I lucked out with having such a easy baby with Chase that I knew it was too good to be true to hope the second would be the same.

Trent is growing quick! He's gotten so big already and filling out. He looks less like a wrinkly old man and more like a baby. His arms are getting chubby, he's got a belly now and his cheeks are getting bigger. He does have a pointy face, I guess he gets that from me. My nights are getting somewhat easier. I think it's actually easier than when I had Chase. Chase was a every two hour baby. With Trent, after I give him a bottle at 8pm or 9pm. He usually sleeps until about 1am, then wakes up every 2-3 hours after that. From the time I go to bed until 7 in the morning I wake up about only 2-3 times. I can't complain. One thing that does suck is that I sleep on the couch. I start off sleeping in the bed, but because I don't wnat the baby to keep him up at night, after Trent wakes up the first time I bring him out in the living room to change and feed him. Then I put him in the swing and I crash on the couch. Sometimes, if I wake up I bring him back into the bassinet to sleep and do the same thing the next time he wakes up. Usually though, I'm so tired I just fall asleep on the couch. Last night, I brought him into the bassinet and I guess it was close to 2 hours after I had fed him so that woke him up. I ended up having to bring him right back out in the living room. So you just have to time it just right. I've definitely gotten to know him and his habits a bit more which is nice. One thing that has been driving me mad is his inability to sleep in the day time. Yesterday, from when I woke him up to drop Chase off at school which is about 9:30am he didn't really fall back asleep until 3:00pm. He would doze off, then wake up crying 5-10 minutes later. He just doesn't seem to stay asleep and he wakes up freaking out because he's overtired! On Sunday, he actually slept throughout the day. Brandon and I were actually worried because it was weird for him to sleep...like he's suppose to! When he doesn't sleep, it leaves me no time to do anything. I can't do the dishes. I can't shower. I don't even have time to eat. I got a chance to eat some cereal for breakfast yesterday. Actually, midway through my cereal I had to hold him. I had saltine crackers for lunch and I managed to squeeze some yogurt in after 3pm. Of course though, Chase was home which means whatever I eat I have to share. I would love an afternoon nap, but how can I. I even thought maybe Trent has colic. It's not like his cries are inconsolable though. I know why he's crying, it's because he's over tired. I just wish he would sleep!

He's actually sleeping right now, which makes me nervous but I can see him just constantly grunting and moving his arms so I'm scared to take a shower. Instead, I'm using the time to blo

This is Trent at 4 weeks old. I can't believe he's already a month old. Time sure flew by, which means I only have two more months before I have to retuurn to work. I'm actually looking forward to going back to work. I'm not meant to stay at home. I feel like I'm losing my sanity. I love Trent. I think he's the cutest thing. Brandon think's he's scary looking and he is. Trent always makes this face, when he opens his eyes he really opens them wide so he looks like he's just staring at you. You even see the whites of his eyes on top of the pupil lol. I think it's funny. He's so serious when he's awake but when he smiles and laughs in his sleep it's so cute.

 

 

 

My Postpartum Body (Road to Recovery) Week 4 & 5

 

 

My stomach is going down slowly. I'm able to fit into my old denim shorts, which were a challenge at first since they're not as stretchy around the waist. I haven't really been able to do any dieting regiment since I don't even really have time to eat! I did decide I am ready to exercise again. I know, it's only been a month since I had my c-section but I feel good. We even went to Partyopolis this past Sunday for a birthday party and I was running around playing. I'm contemplating if I should wait at least til I reach week 6 just in case if something internally needs to heal but I'm so tired of this pouch that I have. It's just skin. I can actually pinch it!

 

Week 4

 

 

 



 

Week 5

 

 

 

As you can see, the top part of my stomach seems to be going down more. The lower part is just skin. I'm excited to start doing some sit-ups and crunches to see if the pouch really does go away. I also hate that my belly button looks stretched out. That's how you can tell that the elascity of my skin is no longer there. I have this wrinkly looking belly button. EW!

 

Lilypadz Nursing Pads Review

I wanted to write a review on the Lilypadz now that I've got to try them for a bit. Overall, I would give it a 4.5 star rating.

The PROS about Lilypadz is that it is comfortable, you can go braless, it's eco-friendly, not bulky and discreet. I love the fact that I can go braless sometimes because I have yet to find a comfortable nursing bra. Also, if you want to wear something strapless, well they don't make strapless nursing bras that's for sure. You can also use these after you're done nursing if you're wearing a dress with a low cut in the back and you don't want to wear a bra but don't want the world to know it's a little nipply out.

Here are the CONS, I leaked. I already feel like I haven't been producing as much milk as I did with my first pregnancy and at night I supplement with formula so it's kind of like sleeping through the night without nursing. I believe I was about 9 hours in without pumping or nursing and in the middle of the night I felt this drip going down my neck and my shirt was soaked. I guess I had produced so much milk that the Lilypad just couldn't contain it! So yes, it does leak depending on how much milk you produce during your "let down." Also, it's kind of a pain in the butt to remove your Lilypadz to nurse and there's milk in there. You have to kind of want to check throughout the day and empty it over the sink or something because you don't want there to have constant wetness around your nipples. I think that's one of the causes for thrush. If you forget to check and there's milk in there and you have to remove the Lilypadz to nurse, you have the burp cloth or something and be really careful removing it because milk does get everywhere. You just have to kind of find a way that works for you. I also don't like to use it for over 24 hours. I feel like you should let your nipples breathe. I've been alternating. If I'm out somewhere I'll use the Lilypadz, if I'm home I'll use disposable nursing pads. I also find myself using the disposable nursing pads at night more. Simply because when you're nursing in the dark and the baby's crying you don't have time to check or see if there's milk build-up in it to empty out over a sink before you feed the baby.

I've been washing mine with just water and baby soap. So far they still retain it's stickyness but it also doesn't look as "fresh and clean" as they were in the beginning and I don't think it ever will no matter how you wash them.