Silky Mama

I recently read a friend's post on Facebook that said this: "I co-sleep, I breastfeed a toddler while I breastfeed a 3 month old, I wear my baby, I question vaccination schedules, and take a visit to my essential oil supply before a trip to the doctors office. We are alive, we are healthy, and we are happy!"  To me this implied that she believed for doing the things she listed, others may perceive those as things that wouldn't keep her and her babies alive, healthy and happy.  I often have this same thought...that there are people who believe I am not doing what is absolutely best but for me it's because I am not doing the things my friend listed above. So we each have the same thought, that others may think our way isn't best while we are both doing different things...silly. (Apparently the mommy wars stuff gets into a lot of our heads one way or another).  I guess I do things the mainstream way and while you may think mainstream is popular, I haven't felt this way at all.  I think it's because most of my friends here lean towards being a crunchy mama, which is how I would define my friend of the original Facebook post above...if of course we're labeling.  So what's the opposite of a crunchy mama?  What am I?  According to Urban dictionary, I am a silky mama. "Modern mother who prefers medicated hospital birth, bottle feeding/part time breastfeeding, disposable diapers, crib sleeping, etc. One who follows the advice of established medical authority; often tend to be working moms who rely on modern products for convenience and time management."  I truly don't believe one way is better than the other.  The best way to raise a child is what keeps you all alive, healthy and happy.  I just find it interesting reading all these definitions and seeing where I label myself on the parenting spectrum.  

There are quite a few things that intrigue me about crunchy mamas like baby wearing and cloth diapering and I think we will just have to see how I am when another child comes along.  I do feel like my parenting experience was almost limited in a way, moving back and forth from the Dominican Republic during my child's first year and a half of life. We survived with the bare minimums for him like diapers, bottles and a few toys. We finally gave in and got a high chair but buying things was hard knowing our life in Dominican Republic was temporary and we couldn't ship items back and forth.  I also feel like I didn't have time (or make time) to learn about all the different ways to raise a baby.  I was too busy learning the culture, the language, trying to make friends and just figuring out daily life like how to pay my bills and get around.  I've noticed so many things since moving back that I just didn't have there.  First being all the cool baby products.  I recently saw a bib that has a lip to catch food in and rinses right out.  Did you know I had never seen one of those?  I don't mean this in any negative way but most of our friends with babies lived in poverty and did not have all these amazing products so of course I didn't see them.  Another thing here in the US are all the playgroups and mom meet ups online.  Internet and especially computers, are limited there so I definitely didn't have that!  There is even a group of moms here that have a Facebook group for baby wearing with a baby wearing library where you can check out all kinds of ring slings, mobys and backpacks.  Maybe for the next baby... The US also has internet shopping for some awesome baby products and cloth diapers but shipping internationally is much too expensive and most of the places I'd look don't ship internationally anyway.  So maybe I'd be a little more crunchy had I had a different experience with Joaquin but who knows because honestly this silky mama thing has fit my life perfectly and myself, dad and baby are all alive, healthy and happy so for now I'll just keep on doing what I'm doing.  Silky-silk-silk. :)

Wisconsin Dells take 1

Want to know why this blog is titled take 1?  Because in another month I'm going back to Wisconsin Dells but to a different resort with different family members so a whole new trip to look forward to!

I always get surprised when I talk to people from MN who have never gone to Wisconsin Dells!  It's only a 3.5 hour drive and it's the water park capital of the world!  I've been going almost every summer the past few years and I really like it.  But hey, I'm a sucker for tourism and waterparks specifically are always fun.

This past weekend we went with the family my brother married into.  Let me just tell you what a wonderful family this is.  For as long as I can remember they have invited my mom and I to do things with their family.  We often celebrate holidays together and use to take a trip together every summer.  I'll never forget the packed minivan and car loads of our group 12-15 big going to Chicago Six Flags or Wisconsin Dells each summer.  Well it's been a couple years since we've gone on our traditional summer trip or at least since I've been able to come and this year was the first year my husband and baby got to come along for the experience!  This family really is one of the most hospitable I know and I've seen their kids grow up, some are still growing, and they are all turning into such quality people.  I'm so impressed and feel so grateful my brother found Yung for his wife and I get to be a part of their family.

Soooo....what did we do?  Jesus, Joaquin and I began our trip Friday afternoon because we did not want to join the others for a Saturday 4am departure.  Jesus and I checked in our overpriced Super 8 (because it's summer in the dells and you need to book early for any decent price or place) and then headed over to the outlets.  I got jeans for $10 and a couple other things.  We also went to this huge fun zone full of rides, video games, bounce houses, go carts and more.  Perfect for kids and all of the bounce houses and giant jumping pillow were a hit for our little one.

On Saturday our big group arrived where we ate at Mr. Pancake for sake of tradition and sake that it's delicious.  We then headed over to Mt. Olympus resort.  This was a new park for us. It has several waterparks, an indoor and outdoor theme park with roller coaster and go-karts.  It really has it all.  Yung's family caught a great two bedroom room with fun bunk beds for all the kids.  We shared a room with Richard, Yung and their baby and it was a standard hotel room but not as new so not as nice.  Probably a fifty dollar room that we paid much more for but oh well...the included admission to the parks was worth it.

Mr. Pancake

Here we are same place five years ago but I'm taking the photo.  Look at the changes!

Some of the kids exploring their cool bunk beds

The first day we hit the waterparks but Joaquin was getting over being sick...maybe he was still sick...ok so the day before he was very sick and I was so selfish hoping he'd be better on time so I could go on rides on my vacation and not have to chill with a sick kid the whole time.  Obviously I wanted him better for his own comfort as well!  We couldn't keep him in the water too long and while we found a kid area, turns out there was a better one for smaller babies that we missed.  Eventually Jesus was kind enough to take Joaquin to nap and I got to go on some watersides with the others.  Jesus and I didn't have time to do much together because at least one of us needed to be with Joaquin and he's not big enough for the big slides and he was sick which made things even harder.  It was a bit of a downer but still not bad of a day.  

Our big group entering the parks...you can see some of the greek tourist style of Mt. Olympus

The second day we went to the theme park with roller coasters and go-karts.  Jesus threw out his back the night before so couldn't do much here.  He was a fun dad and took Joaquin on all the kid rides which was a blast.  I made it onto one roller coaster with Yung but then Jesus, Joaquin and I  headed home because the lines were each an hour wait and again...hard to do with a little one.  When we went home the rest of the family stayed and went on a jet boat ride but the age limit was 4 so we skipped that too.  So you can see how things change with children eh?  However it just takes a little extra planning for what activities you can all do or some baby sitting swapping and it all works out.  The best times really were the times we found great rides and activities for Joaquin...and maybe the roller coaster I went on. ;)  There is plenty for toddlers in WI Dells, don't get me wrong, probably just better when they aren't sick.

El tren

Baby Richard

There was no shortage of spinning in circles mid air for Joaquin on the balloons

Even Baby Richard got to go on the hot air balloons

Some of the big kids and adults supporting the babies on the kiddie rides

Now to do it all again in another month with my Aunt, uncle and cousin from Chicago.  Let it be known here that the plan is to go zip-lining but will my fear of heights win out?  We shall see...

PS I feel like this post is almost negative complaining about my little guy...not my intention...you know he's my world!  And I can't believe I don't have pics of water slides...

4th of July in Chicago 2014

Our first Chicago trip since being home in the USA.  We knew Jesus had the 4th of July off of work so what better way to celebrate than get out of town?  As we were searching for hotels all along the North Shore we realized my mom was searching for flights to Chicago.  We made a happy compromise and drove mom to Chicago so she could see family and we could go on a vaca!

We began our trip dropping my mom off with my aunt in Lake Forest, IL.  It was our first time to this city and it is beautiful!  It's on the beach with gorgeous homes and a cute local town with small cafes and little shops called, Lake Bluff, nearby.  We ate sushi at some trendy spot in Lake Forest the first night and then found overpriced lemon bread french toast at a a cafe in Lake Bluff the next morning.  We made a photo stop at the beach on Lake Michigan and played at the park before making our way to downtown Chicago.  We drove along a road called Sheradon to get downtown, which I highly recommend, for a beautiful drive down the coast with amazing homes!

If you can't read Joaquin's lips, he now says "cheese" for photos!

We arrived downtown and stayed at the Hyatt.  I will say this is a great location if you want to stay downtown and be tourists as we did.  It's minutes from Millennium park and Navy Pier.  So....apparently the 4th of July weekend in Chicago is VERY crowded.  Since I have so much family in Chicago, we go once or twice a year, and never have I seen this many people!  Luckily we had been to Navy Pier before because we sure were not able to stop and do anything there this trip.  We fought the crowds just to walk to the end of the pier and there definitely wasn't time to wait in lines for any attractions.  Millennium park however, while crowded, was much easier to navigate probably because of the open layout as opposed to a skinny pier.  The fountains were the biggest hit!  Joaquin had a blast running back and forth and getting soaked amidst the beautiful skyline.  We also managed to get a few photos with the famous bean.  Other highlights included shopping on Michigan Ave. where I bought a jean jacket from H and M and making a stop at the Chicago Cupcake truck parked nearby our hotel.  We saw the Navy Pier fireworks but watched from a street corner closer to our hotel which still managed to be over populated.  We ate bao buns from a fast food bao bun place food court style in the Water Tower Place mall and later ate crab legs from our hotel's fancy restaurant.  It was a really great food vacation in addition to all the entertainment.  Oh I can't forget to mention the seagulls.  We wanted to kill some time before dinner one night and when I saw those seagulls in the park, I knew that was just what my little toddler needed to blow off some steam.  He could chase birds for hours...with no fear...quite the opposite of his mommy.

The fountain sculpture splash pad thing at Millennium park...I don't know what this thing is really called!

Random photo downtown before the fireworks in the jacket bought while shopping the Magnificent Mile.

Joaquin in the original chairs from Wrigley Field that are now used to decorate the city.

Photos with/in the Bean at Millennium Park

                                      

Navy Pier

Finally after being tourists in Chicago, we met back up with some family to pick up my mom and return to MN.  We had a lovely lunch at an Eastern European restaurant in honor of my late Grandpa's birthday with grandma Lee, aunt Joan, uncle Ben and my cousin Benny, my aunt Luli and my mom.  Not only was it great to see everyone but I get nostalgia every time we eat at one of these Eastern European restaurants as I've gone to many with my grandparents when I've come into town.  Before lunch we stopped at the beautiful Bohemian National Cemetery to visit Grandpa and several other relatives.  I am glad I got to share that with my husband and still wish he got to meet my grandpa before he passed. Grandma sure did enjoy seeing little Joaquin and that made me very happy!

Finally on our way home, as we pulled out of a gas station and were already halfway into the street, an old man on a bicycle came out of no where and struck the side of our car.  Thank goodness he wasn't hurt and didn't fall off the bike besides losing his footing.  He assured us he was ok, and repeatedly commented that this is why he wears a helmet.  I hate to sound bad but it really appeared to be a situation of an old man that shouldn't be biking in the city alone.  Our new car took a nice hit but we just finished getting it repaired today and it looks as new again.  A bit of a hassle we had to go through but it's done now.  Other than that, yay for vacation!  Can't wait to write my next post after vacation to WI Dells with my sister in law's giant Mexican familia in another week or so!

Contour, highlight, illuminate rewind

I felt like my last post on contouring and highlighting was confusing and a lot of info so let's rewind!

Lets just look at the first 2 photos (same face, different lighting). After applying foundation all over, I used maybelline age rewind concealer in fair to highlight the parts that look white and then I used a cheap bronzer in dark tan from H amd M to contour and i actually love the color. (Notice the contouring in the hollows of the cheek by making a fish face and drawing a line in that crease). You can also contour around the temples since i dont think that's showing on the photo. I also put blush on my cheeks between the highlight and contour!

Next i used a big fluffy blush to blend everything in and made all harsh lines disappear.

Then i went back and added a little extra blush and bronzer because i think there was too much foundation left on my blending brush so it blended and erased some color.

The last 2 photos have the finished look of highlighting and contouring.
What do ya think?

Contour, highlight, illuminate

Contouring, highlighting, illuminating, concealing...I'm so confused!  But I'm starting to understand!

This blog helped me so feel free to check it out if you want a little lesson. Besides that, I will just show you some things and PRODUCTS I've been trying.

1. Foundation. You already know I like using Loreal lumi foundation with bare minerals on top but did you know I started applying my liquid foundation with the big bare minerals brush?  I love it!  Mostly because I don't get my hands dirty but it really gives a nice finish and easy application.  The key to all of today's lessons is blend blend blend!

2. Concealer/highlighting.  I just bought Maybelline instant age rewind concealer and so far so good.  Concealer should be lighter than your skin tone and it can be used to highlight/bring out parts of your face that you can read it about how to in the blog I linked earlier.  One trick I can share is how to erase dark circles under your eyes or in my case, how to erase my veins that pop through! Don't just apply concealer under your eyes.  Apply it in a down facing triangle covering under your eyes but going down your cheek as shown in my picture below.  This helps it blend into your face and not look like you were in a taming booth with goggles on if you know what I mean.  

3. Illumniator.  Illuminators are used to bring light to your face and give you the nice dewey look on your cheekbones and nose for example.  Refer to the blog I keep linking for more exacts on where to illuminate. Why do I have two concealers in my photo above?  Because one is a concealer lighter than my skin and the other is an illuminator by the same brand.  The illuminator is pretty light so I am still practicing how to wear it sparingly.  My husband thought I looked like a ghost so I'm still figuring out how to use it.  I think my second attempt went much better.  However there is another illuminator I really want to try that this girl uses in her youtube video.  It is Revlon photo ready skin lights in peach light...can't wait to get it.  

4. Contouring.  The photo above is where my husband thought I was too light from the illuminator however check out the contouring under my cheekbones!  I like the definition but let me tell you what's wrong.  A. I may need to blend it better so the line is not so harsh. B. I find the color too orange. I have read that you shouldn't use just any bronzer for contouring because it can be too orange.  Get something more taupe or grayish or even try a concealer darker than your skin tone.  In this photo I am using NYC Sun n bronze in Coney Island (maybe I should have bought a darker color?) While I'm still deciding how I feel about the color if using as a bronzer...I know what I'm going to try for contouring next.  It's from the girl's youtube video I linked.  I am going to try cover girl fix stick concealer in dark because it's a dark brown and doesn't look too orangey.

Here is how you should apply a contouring shade.  Make the fish face and sweep it in the hollows of your cheeks.  There are other areas you can contour as well like around your temples, going down the sides of your nose and your jawline.

5. Bronzer.  After being told I looked too white, I put the NYC bronzer all over my face.  This is what you should not do.  Check me out as an Oompa Loompa. 

6. Today I practiced again and am feeling pretty confident.  When applying a bronzer you should think of making the number 3 on each side of your face. Here is a pretty good photo I found online to show how.  You want there to still be light spots in your face and only have bronzer where the sun would naturally hit you.  This is where highlighting and illuminating help out as well.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXl53__eARcwJp0ztYP_9N4tUzInC49i7oewubSwFTsZHgB0mVoY9_LIyAX1-l-AjjisX31bf5xrQGT7jgHpyN2MrRmtKa2FefnH_pkXmsWnpKIURwMbYW7blUevJuPpj8SEJ5OS7XQKV/s640/3.jpg

Doesn't it look more natural now?  Can you see how I have darker and lighter areas for where the sun would hit my face?  I also used my NYC sun n bronzer as eye shadows which I love! Last tip: If you want extra color, you can apply a little blush to the apples of your cheeks as well for that pretty flushed look.

A few extra product reviews just for fun: 

1. Have you signed up for Ipsy yet?  I received my first glam bag for $10. My favorite thing was the NYX butter gloss.

Some products are from the bag but I am also using my cover girl checkers bronzer and a gold eyeshadow not included but that I had at home.

I love my new revlon brow fantasy pencil and gel.  You've probably noticed I love the thick brow trend.

 

And finally here is one last photo of me contouring and highlighting but I'm using all random products not designed for it.  I  have my cover girl checkers bronzer in the hollows of my cheeks and a white shimmery eyeshadow to highlight my brow bones, nose and inner corners of my eyes.  It actually worked pretty well for improvising...

BFFs

In October 2011,  my family moved to Savage MN.  One Sunday at church we saw a new young couple sitting in front of us during Sunday school.  We kind of pounced on them asking their names and where they were from because we were so excited to find some new friends around our age in the area! Well this Sunday, they were only here for a visit but getting ready to move to MN to start a new job.  Once they finally moved in, things got serious! Martin and Katy became our best friends and we hung out almost every weekend.  There was a pretty good group of us of about 4 or 5 couples that did fun things together often.  Then something must have been in the water because many of us got pregnant around the same time too!  Katy and I hit it off so well and became best friends.  We have kept in touch through both of our many moves and kept track of each other’s babies through photos, Facebook and blog updates.  This past week, their family came to visit!  Martin, Katy and their amazing 15 month old twins!

We had a pretty jam packed week of fun actvities.

On Wedneday, we met my old co-worker and her adorable boy, Owen, at the Children’s museum.  I must say Minnesota’s Children’s Museum is pretty amazing and great for a wide age range. 

Mom selfie

Water time!

On Thursday, Katy, our babies and I met at the Mall of America.  Katy and I browsed Sephora for our new adventures in make-up and then we drank delicious bubble teas from the Tea Garden,  Mmmm Avocado-almond is my fav! 

On Friday, I set up a playdate with a few people Katy knew from living in MN, along with my co-worker who came to the Children’s museum and a ton of other friends.  We went to the Splash pad/park in Robbinsdale and we sure took it over!  There were at least 8 moms in our group and the majority had multiple kids.  It was one of our best play groups yet!

Leave it to Joaquin to steal other's food...

Friday through Sunday, Katy’s family stayed at our place.  We went out for sushi, played with make up, made strawberry cheesecake french toast for breakfast and of course had SO much fun watching the twins play with Joaquin and our puppy.  You really can’t not have fun with all of them running around the house and yard all weekend!

Our flawless faces after I gave my first real make-up lesson!

The Strawberry cream cheese french toast Katy and I made.

Everyone seated for Sunday Breakfast

Saturday I attended Leslie’s bridal shower for which I’m the Maid of Honor.  I don’t have any pictures yet but I do have a picture of the sign I made to decorate with.

Leslie’s sister in law threw the shower and her mom cooked delicious, as usual, Lebanese food.  The gorgeous home was decorated beautifully with lots of coral and white roses. We played a how well do Leslie and her Fiancé know each other game.  For every question the two didn’t match answers, Leslie had to eat a piece of gum, but her mouth didn’t even get full enough for it to be funny so I guess they know each other pretty well!  Overall it was a success and a beautiful day for the bride!

Finally on Sunday, before our friends went home, we went to the Burnsville chapel for church where we all met.  It was so fun to see everyone!  This ward was a big part of our life and we still miss it today.  Everyone was very welcoming to us there and they were just as welcoming when we returned to visit,  It really was a fun reunion…especially showing off how much our babies have grown!