Hi everyone! It's been a while since my last post! 

It is with a heavy heart that I say.... THE TEETHING MONSTER IS UPON US!!! 

**insert dramatic music**

Last week I made the decision of taking this weaning process a lot slower than anticipated not because my baby was refusing to wean but because mommy was having a hard time weaning herself from nursing. So, here I am, a week later, glad that I took it slower! My little on is having such a hard time lately! It is so hard to see him in pain. Last night, or should I say this morning, he woke up at 3 am and there was no amount of patting, shushing, rocking or Tylenol that could comfort him! So, I nursed him a lot today...more than usual, just because it's the only thing that can calm him. I was nursing 3 times a day last week, but today I nursed him 5 times since he was having such a bad day.

Anyways, let's talk about how it went before he started teething. This week I was going to replace a bottle for his 4 am nursing session. The first day went smoothly, he woke up, I gave him a bottle with 3 ounces of formula, he drank 2 and fell asleep. I was able to put him down on his crib and he slept till 7 am. I was doing my happy dance because it was soooo easy....and then he was like....don't start dancing just yet mommy! The next morning, I went in with his bottle and gave it to him... at 4 am... what happened? He was so awake. I could not put him down to sleep after that. I thought it was a fluke, so I did the same thing the next morning and again, fresh as a daisy at four in the morning and mommy walking half dead the rest of the day. I decided that I was just not going to give him the breast or a bottle. He is taking his normal formula bottles the rest of the day, I am now giving him 8 ounces instead of 6 since I am not feeding him at night. I know his pediatrician told us that he really doesn't need the calories at night, but still I feel like he should take a bit more during the day then. 

It was all good until last night, when he started crying hysterically! Last night was one of the toughest nights we've had so far. It's incredible what lack of sleep, a crying baby and general exhaustion can do to you. Not to mention the fact that I feel so helpless when it comes to soothing him! So, after I nursed him this morning I was able to put him down to sleep again on his crib but he woke up 40 minutes later crying again. So, I gave in, and at 6:30am I brought him to our bed. I know that bed-sharing is a very controversial topic, but it works for us! We don't share our bed everyday, but on occasion if he is feeling under the weather, we give him the extra cuddles he needs/wants. After all, they are babies for such a short period of time that I just want to breathe him in, and enjoy every cuddle I can.

This will be my schedule for this week as well, and hopefully that tooth emerges in the next couple of days. Our doctor told us that once it breaks through the skin the pain and discomfort goes away! So, please keep your fingers crossed for us and say a little prayer so we all, and specially my baby boy, catch some z's. Until next week!

Hugs
Frances

Hi everyone! Hope you are all having a lovely day! 

I must share this product with you guys! I stumbled across this product, Pearl Bath Bombs, when Instagram suggested their page. I cannot tell you how much I love taking baths, so obviously I clicked on the link and then went to their website to check them out. 

What's their concept? You purchase a bath bomb and inside each of them there is a tiny pink pearl with a ring and a code. Each ring is valued at $10 and the code could reveal a $100, $1,000 or $5,000 ring. If you do get one of the wining codes, you get a ring sent to you IN YOUR SIZE!!! If you don't get one of these prices, you still get pearl points that you could use later to purchase more products. 

I think this product is genius! Who doesn't want to take a luxurious bath and get a ring and the possibility to win another more expensive ring?! Hashtag winning! I immediately purchased one. 

What do I think? 

I LOVE THEM!!! First of all, wow! Shipping was insanely quick! Like 2 days quick! I wasn't even expecting it when I got the package on my doorstep! Packaging is perfect, it comes in a really big box filled with packing peanuts which prevents the lovely bath bomb from crumbling or cracking during shipping. The bath bomb I purchased was the Lavender bomb! It smelled so good! It was not too much or too potent! It was perfection! It fizzled really nicely and the water turned a lovely pink color and the coloring did not stained my bathtub. The product was very silky and it felt really nice to relax with the lavender smell! It doesn't make a bubble bath though, but I was ok with it! As of the ring, I loved mine! For being a $10 ring, it was pretty nice in my opinion. It was a blue oval stone with a halo around it! I didn't win the more expensive ring, bummer, but all in all, I was so pleased and impressed with them. The only thing I would love for them to improve is their website, or at least the mobile website. It was a bit "buggy" so I had to register like 5 times in order to actually take it and still I could not use their 5% first buy discount. I don't know if it is because they are slightly new and the website needs some tweaking... but other than that, I will certainly purchase more bath bombs! I loved them!!!!!!! Definitely check them out! 

Here are some pictures of my first Pearl Bath Bomb experience! 

Hi everyone!!

Weaning week 4, what a week it was! First, we had a holiday on Monday, which is usually when I start the new routine with my little one with exchanging a nursing session with a bottle. My hubby was at home and we just had too much going on so I didn't replace a feeding that day. Then Tuesday came and we had been snowed in so again my husband was at home and I postponed it another day. Long story short, with all the things going on with us not having a consistent routine I didn't get to replace a nursing session until Friday, and let me tell you, it was a disaster!!! I for some reason thought that I would replace the middle of the day nursing. Well, what a huge mistake that was! If you have been reading my blog regarding weaning you will know that I have already replaced the second morning feeding, and the second to last feeding. Replacing the middle of the day nursing session meant I did not nurse from 7 am until 7 pm!!! By 5 pm I was in so much pain from being engorged that I had to feed my baby at a different time than his normal schedule. Not only that, I felt so sad from all the crazy hormones that I was crying and felt weepy and overall crabby! 

Because of all of this, I have made a new decision, I will wean my little one every other week from a breast milk feeding. I feel that weaning is not only for the baby but also for the mom! I never thought I would say this, but it has been harder for me than it has been for my baby! I miss staring into his eyes while he nurses and seeing him fall asleep and look at his beautiful long eyelashes! So I will take it slow! Slower than before. 

At this new schedule he will be done nursing by the time he turns 9 months! Which is actually 3  months longer than I expected to nurse him when I got pregnant! Crazy how your plans change when you become a mother and experience breastfeeding! 

This is his eating schedule for last week and this is his new schedule that will start this week:

So there it is, this is what works for me individually. I hope that you mamma's out there have found a routine that works and if this looks like something you might like give it a try and let me know on the comments how is it going. Also, let me know what worked for you! This is a dynamic thing so I could use some pointers! Anyways, I hope you all have a lovely week and Happy Monday!!

Hugs, 

Frances

Product Review

Hi everyone! Hope you are having a fantastic Friday! This week I got my February Ipsy Bag in the mail and I have been playing with my goodies the whole week. I hope you find this review helpful! 

Paula Dorf Baby Eyes Enhancer

For me this product was ok but not the best. It is nicely pigmented but not that creamy. I like NYX Cosmetics Wonder Pencil way better than this one. 

Trust Fund Beauty Nail Polish in "Im'm Kind of a Big Deal"

 If you've read my previous review of Sally Hansen Gel Nail Color you would know that nail polish does not last at all on my nails. So, having said that, I do like this nail polish! The color is divine! It's this sort of dusty rose color that I loved. Not barbie pink, not to pale, not to dark...just perfect. I find that it lasts a bit longer if I only do one coat and then top coat. Good thing, it is not streaky at all. So, this is a product I would totally buy! Also, I've had this nail polish before on an Ipsy bag, in the shade "But...Daddy" and I love it too! 

Margaret Dabbs London Miniature Crystal Nail File

I am feeling meh about this nail file. It is not to rough, which I guess is ok if you want to buff your nails but it you actually want to make them shorter you will be filing for a looooong time! Also, one thing that I really did not like, when you use it there is a faint screech noise that kind of made me cringe. Not a fan.

Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Primer Oil

I really liked this product. I had tried it before and loved it then. I love it now! This feels moisturizing on the skin. You apply it to your skin before applying your foundation and let it be absorbed completely. Then you apply your foundation, and this really gives you a "photoshop" look to the skin, it feels silky on the skin and foundation applies so much better with this! I give it a thumbs up!  

Chella Lipstick Pencil in Passionate Pink 

I liked this lipstick. It smells so nice, but I cannot pin point what is the actual smell. The color is beautiful, very feminine. It is definitely not pink, it's more like a coral shade. I happen to love peachy, coral colors so I was very happy to get this one. It applies smoothly and it is so creamy. One thing, this lipstick WILL get on your teeth so watch out. It also transfers, so if you are planning on going on a date night and having a make out session DO NOT wear this lipstick! Other than that, I loved this one! 

Now, let's talk about the actual bag.... Oh My Goodness, how pretty?! This bag I will actually use as a clutch! I think the bag was the thing I was most excited about! :) Let's see what next month's Ipsy bag looks like, since it's my birthday month!!!! Yay! Until then, stay gorgeous! 

Hugs, 

Frances

Product Review

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a lovely Valentines Day! I sure did! 

Today I am going to be talking about the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel nail polish. I bought mine in the shade "Pink Cadillaquer". When it comes to nail color and nail polishes I have been hunting for one that works on me for years! I do not know what is going on with my finger nails, but it seems they are allergic to nail polish. I kid you not, I paint them, I do not move for almost an hour to let them dry completely, they are as dry as the Sahara Desert and boom I sneeze! I look down and there it is... a chip!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why, oh why is it that nail polish lasts all but  seconds before it chips on me! Come on! I cannot tell you how many products I have bought with the hope that one of them will work. I bought this nail polish because Kathleen Lights raved about it on her channel. She said it was the only polish that she has that did not chip on her... promising! **Insert heavenly music**. So, off I went to Target and bought it. 

How does it work? This is a two step manicure set. The first step is the actual color. No base coat needed. You have to apply two coats of this product, waiting for it to dry off completely before applying the second coat. After that, step two, is to apply the top coat, which cures the product. Natural light is supposed to help with the curing process. It claims that it can give you up to 14 days of color and shine. No need to use the light and that it is very easy to remove.

The good:

The bad:

So, in my opinion I am not impressed. For a product that claims that it is the next best thing after a salon gel manicure I was expecting more. A salon manicure for me lasts 7 days before it starts chipping, and it never chips the way this product chipped. I might purchase it again in other colors, just because they are very pretty, but I don't think there is anything super special about it. 

I guess I will keep my search for the perfect nail polish and report back to you guys. Until then, stay gorgeous!

 

Hello everyone!

Weaning, week 3! I have to tell you, this week was an emotional roller coaster for me. My little one finally got better, yay, therefore I resumed my planned schedule for weaning him. 

This week I replaced his second feeding of the morning, usually around 9-10am. Now he is breastfeeding 4 times a day (4am, 7am, 1pm and 7pm) and bottle feeding 2 times a day (9-10am and 4-5pm). He is drinking anything from 4 to 8 oz of formula per feeding. Four ounces if he had solids too close to his bottle feeding or 8 if it has been a couple of hours since he had solids. It all depends on his mood, since we do not have a very strict schedule for solids yet, but he is more solids now!!! There are some days that will refuse his morning cereal (this has happened the past two days, I wonder if it is that he is getting bored with it?).

Anyways, the first day I replaced a nursing session (I start the new schedules on Mondays) with a bottle this week, he fought it a little bit. I think it has to do with the fact that since it is a morning feeding, daddy is not around to give him the bottle. Every time that I am the one giving him the bottle, we have more resistance than if it is my husband Jeff. That first day he would stop drinking from the bottle and would try to latch on, so it took me around 45 minutes to give him the whole bottle. The next day he was back to his normal self and took the bottle right away.

For me it was a rather emotional week. I was very sad and weepy on Monday. I felt like I was missing something. I knew that this could happen since when a woman breastfeeds, her body releases the hormone Oxytocin, which produces calmness and sometimes it can make you sleepy. Our bodies also releases endorphins while we breastfeed which gives the mother some kind of natural high! Because of this hormonal change it is not unusual to feel a bit down when you start weaning your baby. I definitely felt it this week. By the third day I felt like my old self. This comes to show you how amazing our bodies are and that the benefits of breastfeeding are not only for the baby, but for momma as well.

I am still debating on whether I remove a breastfeeding session every week or every two weeks. Let's see how it goes this week. I will keep you posted!

Hugs,
Frances

Product Review

Hi everyone!

So, this has been way overdue. Back in December I went to the Physicians Formula website and put an order of a couple of products that they had come up with and I really wanted to try. I have to say, I had never purchased any products from them so I had no expectations of what the products were going to be.

I would say I was impressed with a couple of products and oh so disappointed with some. After close to two months of use, let's get started with the products I was impressed with.

Argan Wear Ultra-Nourishing Argan Oil

I REALLY LOVED THIS ONE! I have been using it pretty much non-stop since I bought it. The product claims to be a moisturizer, primer, brightener, protector and treatment in one. And it pretty much does all that it claims. I have not been using it as a primer, because I found that some of my foundations were not sticking as they should and I had to set them, which I rarely have to do. But I have been using it every night as a moisturizer, and treatment and it works beautifully. This is one of the few products that do not break me out! YAY!! I have been applying three drops on my face before going to bed, one on each cheek and one on my forehead. I love it! It doesn't feel greasy an my skin just glows in the morning with it. I recently started using it as a cuticle oil and they seem less scaly. I will definitely repurchase this puppy! Did I mention I love it?

Eye Booster Instant Doll Lash Extension Kit

Nude Wear Touch of Glow Palette

Argan Wear Ultra-Nourishing Argan Oil Blush

From left to right: Argan Wear Ultra-Nourishing Argan Oil Bronzer, Argan Wear Ultra-Nourishing Argan Oil Blush, Darkest Shade of the Shadow Trio, Lightest Shade of the Shadow Trio, Medium Shade of the Shadow Trio.

From left to right, lightest highlighter shade of the Nude Wear Touch of Glow Palette, blush shade, bronzer shade and gold highlighter shade.

PRODUCT REVIEW

I am a little late to review my January Ipsy bag, but what can I say? Life gets complicated when you have a 6 month old. So here it is, my first review of an Ipsy bag. I have been getting Ipsy bags since May 2015 and so far most of my glam bags have been pretty decent. Let's get started!

January's Glam Bag was called "All Eyes On You" and most of the products they sent out were obviously eye related. This is what I got:

January 2016 Ipsy Bag

Hello there again! 

Here I am, Week 2 of weaning. This week was very rough for my little one! I was planning on cutting another nursing session this week, but then my boy got sick. I will wander off a little bit from the weaning subject to tell you what happened:

Off I went to take my son for his 6 month appointment, and on my way to the doctor I heard him spit up a bit. He has never been to much of a spitter, but it wasn't a whole lot so I didn't think it was a big deal. Once I got to the doctor's office, while we were waiting for the nurse to call us, he started throwing up. This was not just throwing up, noooooo, this was projectile vomiting! It looked like a scene from the exorcist! I don't know where they store so much! He drinks maybe 7oz per feeding but he threw up like 3 gallons! He managed to puke on himself, me, the nurse, the floor, the car seat, the doctor and even had some left to throw up in a little bucket they brought for him. Needless to say, I was on full on "mommy-is-about-to-freak-out mode". The doctor decided to push his 6 month old vaccines a couple of days. 

With this vomiting episode, vaccines and what I think was a growth spurt, my little one was extra clingy and he just wanted to nurse all the time. I just didn't have the heart to deny him of the comfort he was so much looking for. So, I kept the weaning schedule I had for him on week 1. 

I hope this comes to show you that you really have to go with the flow and sometimes things will take longer than expected. I still want to wean him but I will not force something if it seems like circumstances are not ideal. My baby boy wanted his mommy! How can you say no to that. I think that as long as we don't go backwards, if we have a delay, it will not be the end of the world. 

So, on to Week 3 of weaning! I will let you know how it goes! :)

Hugs!!

Frances