Managing a large family

   For as long as I can remember I have always wanted a large family. With that being said just doing our day to day things can be a challenge with so many children in toe. Needless to say I am a big fan of those 3 kid carts they offer at Target and some Walmart's. It really makes it a lot easier to shop when your not chasing 3 kids in 3 different directions. Needless to say organization when you have small children is the key to your existence and with that said I still end up sometimes forgetting items on my list. Bedtime also is like a well oiled machine. I choose to bath all 3 of my little ones at the same time like an assembly line. Everyone brushes there teeth at the same time too, and get dressed and ready for bed shortly after bedtime. I bath my kids at night as it just seems to allow more time for me to get ready in the morning plus my kids sleep better after baths. I lay there clothes out the night before, so that there is no confusion in anyone missing an article of clothing  getting ready. And even at that we sometimes run behind schedule.

   Twins have its own set of challenges, when they were younger I relied heavily on my double stroller. It was my best friend carrying diaper cream, extra clothes, medicine bag, boogie wipes and anything else that is needed for 2 small children.With multiples I seemed to be an over packer prepared for anything that could come up away from home. I would rather be over prepared then stuck without a needed item. I also carry a small potty chair in my car for those moments when one child has to go to the restroom and the others are sleeping. Nothing worse to to have to wake sleeping children, it is must easier to have a convenient restroom on the go. Twins may not be ideal for some but for our family it has definitely made my husband and I work together more as team as you become very creative in raising 2 at once.

Extended Breast Feeding

I recently stopped breast-feefing my now 20 month old daughter. It was a decision I thought long and hard about since before Brooklyn had turned one. I struggled to breast feed when my twins were born and made sure everyone knew before Brooklyn was born that I was going to do whatever it took to breast feed her. I was determined and fortunate enough that even with her 5 days in the NICU at birth she has always from the start been an excellent breast feeder. I even visited a lactation consultant to make sure we were getting a good latch. I was never one of those moms that has a milk supply problem but did take a pre-natal and milk enhancer to keep up my storage in the freezer. So when the 1 yr mark hit I was like ok I will stop now, but I had a hard time letting go. It meant my baby was  getting older and considering Brooklyn was my last baby I decided to wait till after her CCAM surgery to stop. Well that took longer then expected so after her surgery at 17 months old we finally stopped our nursing journey. It was like ripping off a bandade, I needed to just do it and get over it. But I think for breastfeeding it is an emotional attachment you have with your child. Brooklyn had a rough start just entering this world, but with my help she had been a very healthy baby and I attribute that to the great nutrients she was receiving in my breast milk. It really irritates me when you get those stares from people when you nursing your older child without a cover, I mean it it just a boob get over it. Brooklyn was never a big fan of covers so when she was hungry I fed her it was that simple. So when I finally decided that for our family right now was a good time to stop I think the first few days we're harder on me then her. She asked for it mainly at bedtime but by the 5th day she didn't even ask to be nursed.  She still sometimes will grab at my breast but not to the point where she is trying to nurse. No one can tell you how soon or for how long you should breast feed, I think that is a personal choice. But for us I felt like I did my part in making sure my 17 month  breast feeding journey was a successful one and I was proud off sticking with it for as long as I did.

Simple wedding make-up look

      My best friend of over 20 yrs is getting married and I was asked to be in her wedding as a bridesmaid. Being the thrifty mom that I am, I decided to do my own make-up for this special occasion. Here are the following products I used:

 PRIMER:  I started with a make-up primer something simple but would get the job done in making my make-up last all night. I decided to use Benefits "that gal" brightening face primer. It goes on very smoothly and is light weight feeling but got the job done as my makeup never skipped a beat since putting it on earlier in the day.

CONCEALER:  I chose to use ELF's concealer stick in medium. It is great for slight discoloration around the eye area. I wouldn't say it's a heavy coverage concealer more light weight and mainly as a highlighter under the eye area.

FOUNDATION:  I used MAC's match master spf15 foundation, and used a beauty blender to apply it to give a more natural finish. I then took a buffer brush and made circular motions all over to give my makeup a more air brushed finish look.

POWDER:  I used Laura Mercier loose setting translucent powder to set the look, this is a great lightweight powder.

BLUSH: I contoured my face with Hard Candy's "So Baked" bronzed and on the apple of my cheeks used MAC's blush in Pink Swoon.

EYES: I started with the eyes by applying some concealer on them the same ELF one I used. I also used MAC's eyeshadow primer in Painterly, I then used the following MAC eyeshadows: Brule, Sketch & Satin Taupe. I first applied Brule to the entire lid, then applied Satin Taupe to the eye crease area. To enhance the eye I applied a small amount of Sketch to the crease as well to make the eye pop. I then applied MAC eyeliner Engraved to the upper and lower lids and the inner water line.

I then used a coat of Benefit's "There Real" Mascara prior to applying my false lashes. For lashes I used Ardell Falsh lashes in #120, I then applied another layer of mascara to blend the flashes lashes with my own.

LIPS: For the lips I went for a natural look lining my lips with MAC's Subculture, lipstick in Please Me and lipgloss color Angel. 

And here was my finished look, it was  very hot and humid even though the wedding was at night but my makeup lasted the entire night only needing to touch up my lipstick after eating and drinking.

Review of www.shopdiaper.com

I recently was sent a onesize cloth diaper from www.shopdiaper.com to try out and review. The diaper took a  little less then 2 weeks to get as it is shipped overseas. I was thrilled when I opened and saw they sent me a pretty lavender diaper. The first thing I did was washed the diaper in some cloth diaper safe detergent along with the microfiber insert they it came with. I was able to put the diaper in the dryer on a low setting and it tried very quickly.

Now my baby girl Brooklyn is almost 6 months old and weighs 22 lbs. The diaper is set at the 2nd to the highest rise which is great so it will fit Brooklyn and other larger babies nicely. The diaper is lined with a microsuede liner and it comes with one microfiber insert. The diaper held up well with no leaks  and lasted at least 3 hours without a problem. And the cleanup of solids was easy also with the microsuede liner made cleanup very very easy.

I would definately recommend www.shopdiaper.com to any mom who wants to build there stash with a great diaper at an affordable price. And being a mom of 3 all whom are in diapers I can appreciate them making cloth diapers so affordable.

Review of the Thirsties Duo Wrap

So I decided with out new baby Brooklyn to take a more frugal  approach to cloth diapering and attempt to see if prefolds  and covers would work better did us seeing that we have 3 kids in diapers. With having 2 w yr olds and a 4 months old I needed something simple that would work for all 3 of there sizes. The Thirsties duo wrap seemed to be a great starting place.

Now the Thirsties duo wrap comes in 2 different sizes size 1 for 6-18 lbs and size 2 for 18-40 lbs. being Brooklyn is 20 lbs at almost 5 months old and the twins  are both around 30 lbs the size 2 would work. I decided to use the Imagine Smart Fit prefolds which are great for my super soaker kids. I decided to get a cover with snaps as those seem to last better then the Velcro over time. I have nothing but compliments for the makers of Thirsties as these held up great with no leaks, even for my exclusively breastfed baby. The double leg protection seems to help keep the messes contained to the diaper and with the simple snaps this diaper was a breeze. I would highly recommend this cover to use with fitted, prefolds and flats.

Citrus Lane September box has arrived....

   I recently signed up for the Citrus Lane monthly gift boxes for our new baby Brooklyn. For those who don't know what it is, it is a monthly subscription of little goodies for you little on based on there age. So this month I received Brooklyn's box based on her being 4 months old. I. The box was delivered and I was extremely anxious to see what we got. 

The box contained the following:

First was an adorable Skip Hop plush in a lamb that encourages crawling and motion. Super cute and jungles When you shake it. It also has the scrunchy sound that babies love to grab and play with.

Next there was  a cute little abc book perfect for the diaper bag and is the cardboard pages so it does not tear and is easily turnable for little fingers.

I also received a Babytime baby wash. It says is hypoallergenic and gentle for little ones skin. Has a nice soft smell.

I was pleasantly surprised that they sent mommy a little something. A beautiful burgundy nail polish from Julep, a perfect color for fall and winter. I can't wait to try it out.

And last I received 2 travel size Dr. Smith diaper creams. Says it will get rid of diaper rash fast.....haven't needed to use it just yet on Brooklyn but it's a perfect size for the diaper bag or purse.

All in all I think this months Citrus Lane box was a great assortment of products and I am already looking forward to next months box.

Review of the Sakura Bloom Ring Sling

    I recently purchased the Sakura Bloom Ring sling and thought I would try it out on our recent trip to Disneyland. With my twins being almost 2 1/2 we were not quite ready to ditch the stroller completely for them and with a new baby I didn't want to bring just a stroller for her. So I decided to give this ring sling a try, and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to use. I purchased my sling from a local baby store not far from Disneyland, the sales associate was nice enough to show me how to properly put my new baby in the sling without dropping her. After a few tries I felt confident enough I could do by myself with no help. So off we went to the happiest place on earth. My baby seemed to like the snuggled feeling and closeness of having mommy there. The sling even allowed me to breastfeed her while we were watching show all without having to take her out of the sling or feel the need to have to cover up with, as the sling also acts as a cover. The day was also quite warm but with the breathable linen I felt her and I were enjoying our sling experience. And since our visit to Disneyland I find myself using the sling while cooking dinner, cleaning around the house and anytime the baby wants to be held as it allows me be hand free while still caring for my newborn, and when you have twins it comes in handy a lot.