Baby Aisle Beauty

Using this for 25 years and still counting ;)

Although, they come into your life and cut down the time and $$$$ you have to spend on your daily beauty regimen, babies open a door to a whole new world of marvelous health and beauty products. As a mother, and a new mom especially, its important to still take good care of yourself. Its imperative to your happiness with self and your post-baby appearance, the bond you'll build with your baby, and preserving your overall youth and vitality. Some of the very same things you purchase for your little one double and even triple as great beauty buys for you. Here are some of my favorites...take a look

• Vaseline: This tried and true favorite has been around for years, and for good reason. Some of the best protection you'll get for chapped skin, especially during fall and winter, will come from Vaseline which is also an amazing exfoliator of sorts. There are scrubs out there that remind us to resurface the skin and face, but 9 times out of 10 women forget to exfoliate one very important area of skin-the lips. This is where Vaseline shines ;). Rubbing it on your lips and letting it work for about fifteen minutes, then gently brushing with.... what else?, an infant toothbrush, will resurface them and keep them soft. Following with a layer of honey for about 15 minutes will soften and pinken them even more. You can try the process over and over depending on how many cells you need to slough off, but remember to be gentle with your lips. The skin is VERY delicate
• Aquaphor: Of the same family as Vaseline, but a tad more expensive and 150% more moisturizing, Aquaphor has become a favorite of some runway models. Why? This thick emollient, specifically formulated for thirsty skin, is VERY hydrating. Applying in place of body butter after exfloiating your skin, and wrapping yourself in Saran Wrap locks in the moisture and forces it deep into your skin. Making sure your skin is still a little damp before applying it will ensure the greatest moisture concentration.
• A Baby Brush: While we're on the topic of exfoliation, don't forget to pick up an infant brush for yourself, when you're considering grooming your babies' locks. Rubbing it over dry skin before jumping in the shower loosens the flaky top layer of epidermis and allows your scrub to work even better ;)!
• Baby Oil Gel: For instant glow in your evening gown or lingerie, Johnson's Baby Oil gel is the go-to. A thin layer of this transparent gem adds quick shine to your skin. A little goes a long way, so you don't need too much, and the gel formula makes it a lot less messy than traditional oil.
• Q-tips: Because nothing defines the lower lid of your smokey eye better than a fresh q-tip ;)! These are some of the best makeup applicators out there.When you need to line or define with precision, a q-tip is the perfect size and shape; especially the Safe-T-Tips that have a pointed tip ;)! Use them with dry makeup media like shadows, pigments and powders so you don't have cotton threads strewn about your face. If you need to use it with a liquid or cream based part of your makeup (like in the application of concealer) wet the q-tip, soak up the excess water and smooth the cotton tip by rolling it in a clean, fresh piece of tissue and then apply. This also works if you want a more intense color from your shadow. Wet the Q-tip, twist, dip it in the shadow and then apply the richer color ;).
• Baby Wipes: My friends and I have found out that these are some the BEST stainlifters in the world. Soaking up a fresh makeup stain with a baby wipe always works. They are also great makeup removers. Since they're formulated for a baby, they're gentle enough for use on your face, and they usually remove eyeshadow in one or two swipes. As always, be careful when manipulating the skin around your eyes, its very delicate and ages faster when pulled and tugged regularly ;).

Babies are such a blessing....definitely in more ways than one. It may be hard to keep up with your pre-baby health and beauty regimen, but if you're resourceful and utilize the things your baby has introduced into your life, you can devise a new post-baby one ;). REMEMBER not to FORGET to make time for yourself; you deserve it now more than ever!!! LOVE

Baby products are especially good because their light scent doesn't conflict with your perfume and their hypoallergenic composition is healthy for your skin...Cetaphil is one of the leading sensitive-skin baby lines that offers tons of soaps and moisturizers for mother and baby. Visit this link for some goodies for both http://www.cetaphil.com/ LOVE

Celebrating your Assets and Embracing your Flaws: Post Baby

My bestie Shana, beautiful & confident 2 kids later!

Having a child is definitely a life changing experience. Not only are you adjusting to your new lifestyle, but all the physical changes that come along with. After the birth of my second baby Chase I was VERY unhappy with all the changes that took place with my body. Luckily for me, I was fished from the gene pool where post baby weight just falls off, but after Chase's arrival I was unhappy with EVERYTHING about myself, even my weight. My girl Shana and I were going through the same things around the same time (both our kids are literally the same ages) and we both came to realize how those imbalanced hormones can make you feel about your self image, and as long as they inhabit your body your self esteem may suffer. But together we found there ARE ways to appreciate and love yourself flaws and all...

• Celebrate the changes you love-Enjoy your fuller more womanly figure if you were thinner before. Appreciate the thicker healthier hair and nails that came along with your baby. Pregnancy does bring on some positive and welcomed changes. Discover what yours are and display them with pride.


• Be Active & ProActive- The leading complaint from women post-baby is, you guessed it, they've gained too much weight gain and have problems shedding the pounds. Keep your body moving and get up and move around. Exercise with all your new baby gadgets and go for lots of walks with your little one. You won't lose if you don't exercise so stay as active as possible while of course taking your health and post-partum healing process into consideration. MAKE a plan and STICK to it. Its YOUR physical appearance so be proactive in getting it to where you want it to be. If you were lucky enough to not have issues with your weight post baby, lucky you! But you should still stay active to remain healthy and in shape. A lot of women actually start gaining once the hormones exit their system or upon starting a new contraception- so stay as fit as possible!


• Embrace your baby boobs- They may have gotten dramatically bigger or even smaller. Either way be proud of what you have NOW. Take advantage of clothing styles you may not have been able to before. If your breasts are bigger now try more curve hugging blouses that accentuate your womanly figure; if your breasts are smaller try more fashion forward pieces that celebrate a smaller bust.


• Know the Power of Water- Its a natural system flusher, a water weight shedder, a skin clarifier, and an evacuator of those annoying and causative pregnancy hormones. Drink as much water as possible post-baby; it really helps.


• Love the Person in the Mirror- Skin issues are another post-partum problem that affects a lot of women. During the pregnancy of my eldest son Mason, my face was ravaged by Acne. Unfortunately until all the hormones left my system my face and neck never cleared up. But what I did, and what you should try to, is to stay on top of your skin. It may not clear up right away, but you want your skin to be in the best condition when it does. Stick to a skincare routine and visit a dermatologist if you feel you really need to. But just try to wait it out, and don't pick or aggravate your face; you don't want acne scars later.


• Deal with your Stretch Marks- A lot of women complain about the appearance of stretch marks after the birth of their children. What are they? Actual tears in your skin as a result of a dramatic stretch. Genetics play a role in just how severe you will get them, but moisturizing with Vitamin E and Cocoa butter during and after your pregnancy can really help. What do you do if you have them? Embrace them and look at the beauty from which they came. You birthed a child and had a battle with pregnancy...so you have a couple scars. If you can't learn to deal with them or maybe even love them, you can try topical creams to try and fade them. Stri-Vectin is a popular brand that has been around for years. However a lot of people I know that have used it say they can't get results on African-American skin. But this new cream, Trilastin-Sr, is supposed to show results on ANY skin type. Check out this link to see what its about http://www.ecresearchcorp.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=33&FiliAff=1794&Click=30657&gclid=COCeos294JUCFQTEGgodNAdAZA

• If all else fails look at your baby- After all its not about you anymore. Whether its for motivation & inspiration or just to draw comfort and joy from another source, look at your baby and be happy. Don't spend too much time dwelling in depression about your physical appearance; it takes valuable time away from bonding with your baby. At the end of the day you've acquired another beauty in motherhood.

Remember to give yourself some time. It took nine months for your bundle of joy to grow. Things won't change over night. Its natural to feel a little unhappy about your physical appearance after the birth of your child because after all you have changed. Don't compare yourself to the person you used to be. You ARE a different person NOW; move forward and be happy. Being happy with yourself is important to the relationship you're building with your new baby and your mental state as well. Remember, if you ever feel resentment towards your baby or are feeling REALLY depressed don't ignore these emotions. They could mean you're suffering from PPD & need to speak to a doctor before it gets worse. Spend the time after you've given birth loving and enjoying your baby and accepting who you've become. Don't sweat the things you can't change and devote time to working on the things you can and want to. EVERY woman is beautiful and mothers are ESPECIALLY beautiful...celebrate in just that...LOVE

Having the blues after baby is normal-PPD is not. What's the difference? Check out this link to find out http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/postpartum.htm

Reading is Fundamental

Reading to your little one is more important than you probably think. The stories you share with them introduce them to the diction and vocabulary that will soon be shaping their language It nurtures their imagination and exposes them to the world around them. Two books I cannot live without and I encourage every mother of an infant, toddler or preschooler to add to their child(ren)'s library are:

• A Hatful of Seuss: Five Favorite Dr. Seuss Stories by Dr. Seuss- With five stories(one for each weekday bedtime ;) that include Horton Hears a Who, Bartholomew and the Oobleck, If I Ran the Zoo, The Sneetches and Other Stories, and Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book, this is a great buy for young minds. Its my son Mason's favorite book and is filled with lots of colorful and interesting pictures and plots. He loves those witty sing songy Seussian rhymes, and I appreciate them as well. Its a book we enjoy together, and the distinguished jargon makes it educationally entertaining. $19.99 available at Target

• First 100 Words by Bright Baby- This colorful (and durable) big book is great at exposing babies to the basic words they'll use everyday. It used to be Mason's but now his baby brother Chase loves it!!! Go through it with your child or a child you know once a day and they'll get those building blocks down in no time. Go a step further--don't just stop at the words and pictures in the book, introduce your child to correlative words along the way. tell them that SOCKS are WARM when they see the picture or that FROGS go RIBBET. Repetition is key...they'll be chatting before you know it. $8.95 also available at Target

If your child is a NOGGIN watcher you know that "reading with your child 15 minutes a day inspires a lifetime love of learning." Remember your child correlates happy times and activities you do together as positive things. They love to follow your example. So read with them and around them. They'll be more inclined to do it on their own in the future. If you're a working mom its especially important to block out a little quality reading time with your little one. Remember its not the quantity of time you spend enriching them but the quality...and reading with them packs in alot of quality!

For more information on just how important it is to read to your child or a child you know visit this link...LOVE

http://www.childliteracy.com/babies.html

Be Inspired to Play Your Part

One thing kids are great at is opening your eyes to new things. They are also excellent at introducing you to new forums, ideas and mediums you may have never known existed. My son Mason is a huge animal lover. Right now he's really into sea creatures. He loves to watch videos of fish swimming around, and his favorite is Deep Sea 3D. Its an actual footage documentary narrarated by Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet and is actually pretty enjoyable and worth checking out if your child or a child you know is a fan of the Deep. Anyway, after a couple of Deep Sea marathons with Mason I took more and more notice of the message at the end of the movie about the turmoil of our seas and the global effect it has on the environment. It made me want to know more because I've discovered, through Mason's Deep Sea discoveries, so much of my own appreciation for the beauty of the sea and its creatures. I began noticing the signs were everywhere...They were all over the halls of the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT. And, I definitely took notice of them on a recent visit


The environment is a HUGE issue for everyone, but especially for parents and our children and the world they have to grow up in. Be inspired by your child or a child to choose how you will play your role in mending the global crisis. My boys and I support Greenpeace and the campaign for the international protection of our oceans and seas. Who will you support?

Check out Deep Sea 3D: Its educational and informational viewing that you can actually sit through. The Manta Ray and Sea Turtle segments are great in the dark!!!

Wanna help but can't make a financial donation? Sometimes helping out is as simple as adding your name to a petition, volunteering, participating in walks and fundraisers.

Visit Greenpeace at this link: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/oceans
and remember to pay special attention to the Marine Reserve Petition at right!!!! LOVE

Building Confidence on the Playground

My sons, Mason & Chase at the Mystic Aquarium in Norwalk, CT

Now more than ever, my friends and I are having more conversations about finding yourself and just what it means to be "you." And self -confidence & self esteem always come into play. They defintitely play a big role in finding yourself, knowing who you are, and ultimately being comfortable with that person. As a parent I've come to realize that you have the ability to build up your child's self confidence everyday, in a good way. You of course don't want to drive your child to narcissism, but just make them comfortable enough within his/her own skin that they're not second guessing themselves later on. Reinforce ideas that what makes them THEM is special and that while nobody is like he/she EVERYBODY is different. Take notice of their little interests and encourage activities and excursions related to them. Hone talents they exhibit from an early age and get EXCITED about them. SHOW them that you're proud and TELL them that they're great, and you're happy they like the things they do. Give them something about themselves to be proud of and they'll build their esteem from there. You are each other's biggest fans and there's so much power in just that. Instilling the self-esteem they need while they are most impressionable will give them the ability and confidence to face risks, be happy and true to the individuals they become, and uncover any dreams they may have...what more could a mother ask for?

The Foolproof Plan The P.M. Session

So if anyone knows, I do, that raising small children at home is a full-time job, and especially in this fast paced world that we now live in its tough to pack everything all into one day, but so far you've gotten out of the house, exercised, and gotten the kids out, hopefully gotten a couple things done around the house, cooked dinner, and only have a play area to clean up...Its time for the p.m. session

1. Encourage playtime- Roll around with your kids, take another walk, visit a park or pool, get them up, (out if possible) but get them going! Devote your time to just hanging out with your kids, bonding with them and spoiling them with love. Remember that you're lucky to be at home with them!
2. Prepare for the homecoming- About an hour before your hubby gets home clean up & freshen up a little bit. Take your kids into the bathroom with you. Focus their attention by investing in tub crayons that they can draw with but can be rinsed off later. Put on a little make-up...a little concealer and blush goes a long way. Put on something that you feel pretty wearing. Its important that you feel happy and beautiful about yourself when your husband comes home. Try to find little times like these to remember to take time for YOURSELF. It is very important to still try to keep up some of your old routines once you become a mother because that's part of who you are. Also, chances are if you're a stay-at-home mom, you have a husband who works long hours...reward him with a smashing wife upon his arrival;)
3. Finish dinner (if its not done already)- Or warm up what needs to be reheated. Utilize your microwave...it never hurts to serve plates, warm them up and have dinner already on the table ;)
4. Sit Down and have dinner- Put the kids in their highchairs if need be and relax and enjoy dinner. Don't forget to ask how his day was! Dwell in the fact that your kids are exhausted, they had a FULL, EXCITING day, you maintained a CLEAN home, COOKED dinner, hopefully got a couple things done, took a little time for yourself and looked BEAUTIFUL!
5. Bathe the kids and put them to bed- After they've played with daddy and scrubbed their bums its night time, but you have to actually PUT them to bed...make a bedtime routine...tuck them in, turn off all the lights, read a story, give them a bedtime massage, whatever you have to do to get them on a bedtime schedule. Remember getting up early is the key. If your child wakes up at 7 am they'll probably be asleep by 8pm...(this will be so rewarding once shool starts). After the day they had they should drift off early. And you have the rest of the evening to do what you please, be it alone time or qt with your hubby.

With the obvious nature of life this routine couldn't be followed every single day, but I follow it when I can and when I should...if that makes any sense ;)...Developing a routine I would say definitely takes the stress and strain off of getting things done, and in turn I'm happier, I feel accomplished, and not so overwhelmed. Finding a method of spacing things out, knowing what your responsibilites are (what has and doesn't have to get done), and executing them is key for maintaining not only a home but a good dynamic in your marriage. Taking time for yourself and upholding your responsibilites as a housewife should never be in conflict...there will be times when you can't get everything done...but its up to you to find a way to make it work...this is my way and I hope it helps you...LOVE

The Foolproof Plan The A.M. Session

So you've had a baby, entered motherhood, and feel like you've literally been cut in half. The dicotomy of it all... mother/wife vs. diva fashionista. The identity crisis & the adjustment to your new lifestyle and newfound responsibilities can be a little overwhelming, but I'm here to tell you...You can make it work, without losing yourself. As a mother of two, a wife of two years and an overcomer of Post Partum Depression, I definitely don't have all the answers, just those that have worked for me; the answers that helped me find the pieces of myself that were lost, become a better wife to my life partner, a more patient parent, and ultimately happy and comfortable with all aspects of myself..inside & outside of marriage and motherhood. The first order of business was devising a daily schedule that would allow me to hold down a household (in style), maintain a fun-loving relationship with my husband, implement a structure for my kids, and above all make time for myself...and I would love to share it with you...This is the a.m. session

1. Wake up early- The key to the whole plan. If you can't do this, you can't conquer the method. You've got to be up to get things done. But don't just get up alone, get the kids up too. The earlier they get up, the earlier they go to bed....this has to be your focus. If your children are used to sleeping late, the first couple days will be tough, but like anything else, they will adjust. Make it a point not to re-enter your bedroom all day if you don't have to. Make the bed, tidy up, remove whatever you need for the day so that when you return in the evening its strictly for sleep. Make a play area outside of your bedroom for your kids and allow them to play there for the day.


2. Get the kids out for an a.m. walk- Young minds, especially baby minds need to get out and be stimulated. Take your child(ren) out for a walk. Its not only daily exercise for you, but an escape from the house. Find ways to incorporate your baby and his/her gadgets into your daily fitness routine. Climb hills, power walk, push your stroller with extended arms. Remember part of your overall happiness relies on your happiness with self. Remain happy with yourself by exercising guilt free---you don't necessarily have to spend time away from the kids to take care of yourself. Alternate between 3 routes everyday to keep thing variant.
3. Stimulate your kids with educational television- After you've returned from your walk, sit your children down for some tv time. Opt for educational networks like NOGGIN and PBS rather than Nick and Disney where most of the viewing is commercials for toys. Use this time to catch up on some things that you may need to do...if your kids have a hard time focusing sans you...throw a snack into a mix to keep them occupied.
4. Induce sleep post lunch-time- Swap a milk based beverage for juice at lunchtime (my sons love chocolate milk) to bring on the zzzzzz's. The average baby/toddler naps for about 1.5-2hrs daily so this is prime time for you. Also try to make them nap no earlier than 11 but no later than 1. This will ensure no late afternoon napping later. Use this time to cook dinner. In a perfect world, dinner would be coming out of the oven fresh upon your husband's arrival, but obviously you've gotta make it work the best way possible. If you have to cook something immediately before he arrives, cook everything else so that you can confine your babies to a highchair for a short amount of time later if need be. Keep weekday dinners simple....something you can cook in 30 mins. or less. Refrigerate what needs refrigeration, cover and set aside the remainder to be reheated later.

Invest in cookbooks such as Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Get Real Meals or my personal fav, Rachel Ray 365 No Repeats: A Year of Deliciously Different Meals.

Always remember never victimize yourself...Life is all about choices, you make the choice to wed and bear children, you make the choice to take on all that comes with it...you just have to choose a method to make it all work...Victimizing yourself and drowning your husband in a slew of "I've been dealing with ______ all day" will only put a strain on your marriage. Take a step back, realize that you're in it together and there's a method to it all!!! Stay tuned for the PM session and more blogs to come