Car Activites for toddler's

Hey Guys!

All of us have to drag our little one around on a day full of errands at one point or another. It can be exhausting trying to prevent meltdowns or dealing with them. Luckily I have found some fool proof ways to keep your little one's happy.

Food/Drinks

I usually know how long we are going to be out for, and I always try to plan the outing after the meal/snack so it gives me some wiggle room. The one thing I always take is water. Kayden is obsessed with water and always gets thirsty, I also found that he gets hot fast. If I have a drink he is usually good. Water is such a healthy option, and does the trick. If I know we will be out for close to two hours I will take a snack. Something small and easy for him to have that is filling. Some of the things I pack is granola bars, bear paws and raisins. I avoid items that would spoil such as yogurt and fruit.

Movie/Show

Our SUV doesn't have a built in video player (if yours does, you are lucky!) Whenever we come back from my parents house, kayden is tired and can get really cranky. My boyfriend has Curious George on his phone and positions it in a way that he can see it, but not touch. Kayden is so happy and quiet, he doesn't make a peep, you think he's sleeping sometimes and our dog Buddy falls asleep and everyone is happy.The great thing about this, is that it is a show that he is obsessed with, it takes his mind off the fact that it is late and he is going to crash soon. We don't use this when running errands in our town, but rather going/coming from someone's house.

Music

Curtis loves blasting his music, and Kayden loves dancing in his car seat. On short rides we play music and kayden dances away. With the weather being warmer we roll down the windows and he loves the wind in his face.

Toys

We always have a small toy that kayden can hold onto while he is in the car. Once he gets older I want to incorporate activity books. He will play with the toy for 30 min sometimes an be content, when he was younger he would fall asleep mid playing. Keep in mind the toy needs to be small and something he can hold in his hand and doesn't take up a lot of room. We keep a few toys near his car seat for easy access. Also, change the toys up. Kids can get bored seeing the same toy over and over again. I use to change it up monthly when he was a few months old, that way it would keep his attention.

Beauty on a Budget

Hey Guys!

While I love my brand name makeup products, you can find a lot of amazing deals at your local pharmacy/grocery store. Yes that's right, at many grocery stores you can buy makeup as well. I am going to go through all of my beauty favs that are at an amazing price point.

Foundation: Maybelline New York Dream Matte Mousse
This was my holy grail foundation for my last year of high school and university. I loved this product. It blended easily, it was a great price and it didn't settle into my dry areas. Another thing I loved, was it matched my skin perfectly. I have been thinking about going back to it for an everyday foundation. I am sure you all are wondering why did I switch. I wanted something that lasted longer on my skin. Little did I know about primer's, and how much that helped. I switched over to a department store makeup, and it worked great without a primer and setting spray so I just stuck with it.

Mascara: L'oreal Paris Voluminous Mascara
I heard about this mascara from a youtuber, and she was raving about it. She said it worked better then any department store mascara that she used. I picked it up, and while it was pricier then my normal mascara, I forked out the cash. Let me tell you, I have tried other mascara's since, and I have not been satisfied. I love big lashes, and I get that effect in one coat. Of course I am crazy so I go in with two. I fell in love instantly, other mascaras don't give me the full effect, and I feel that I need a lot more coats with other brands.

Eyeshadow
Drugstore eyeshadows have really stepped up their game. I have tried many brands, but my favorite by far is Hard Candy. I discovered them about 2-3 years ago during the holidays. I was looking for new eye shadows. and I love neutrals, so I found a fun pallet. I love sparkle as well, I feel as though it really brightens up my eyes, and makes me look more awake. I am so satisfied with this brand. I have 2 pallets from them, and they are my go-to's . Their pigmentation is amazing, and they last the whole day. I have worn them in the heat, and it doesn't budge. They are an affordable brand, which I love, and I can do so many looks with their shadows.

Lipstick
L'oreal and Revlon are my favorite lipstick brands. I didn't care to much for L'oreal mostly because of the scent that their lipsticks have, but I decided to try their line that was inspired by celebrities. They have a line of neutrals and red's. I can't get enough of their neutral line. They have great staying power, I had my lipstick on today for 6 hours before I wiped it off. I love Revlon's version of Clinique chubby sticks. I only have one color but I am in love with it. It is so moisturizing, it feels like a lip balm. The only reason I have one color is because they are always sold out! They are always in demand and my store can't keep up with it.

Primer: Maybelline New York Age Perfecting Primer
This is my holy grail. It is a gel formula, and glides perfectly on your skin. I let it sit on my skin for a few minutes, and put my foundation on top. I love the staying power my foundation has after applying it. The price has gone up from what it use to be, but it is still very reasonably priced.

Nail Polish- Sally Hansen Insta-dri
I am obsessed with this product, and I recommend this to everyone. Whether you are a mom, on the go, or just to busy, this nail polish is perfect. They have a wide range of colors, and you can have your nails painted in minutes. I love that I don't have to sit around and waste my evening painting my nails, and their color payoff is amazing!

Wisdom Wednesday

I can't stress how important this is. I have a few single friends, and watching them waste time on guys who don't appreciate them, and just use them breaks my heart. I am so blessed to be with someone who appreciates me, and values me as a person. I see a lot of girls settling and lowering their standards, for no reason. I feel lucky to be with the person I am with. He appreciates all the small things I do for him, and our family. I am not saying our relationship is perfect, or trying to imply that it is at all, but everyday when we say our prayers, we thank God for each other and our family. We truly feel lucky to have found each other, and know what we have is special.

Banana Pudding Recipe

Hey Guys!

Here we go again, with another amazing recipe from my boyfriend. He introduced banana pudding to me, and to be honest, at first I was a bit hesitant. I am not the biggest banana fan, but I decided to give it a try. He got this recipe from his mother, who is an amazing cook and baker. This is amazing, anyone who comes over and tries it falls in love with it. I guarantee that you cant have just one bite!

Ingredients

Nilla Wafers (vanilla)
2 packs of instant banana pudding
whip cream
bananas

Steps

On the stovetop cook banana pudding according to directions
All this recipe is, is assembling, which makes it so easy.

Get a large container, and place wafers at the bottom.
 Cut bananas thinly, and place on top of the wafers.
Take pudding and spread on top
Cover with whip cream
 Repeat at least once
 My boyfriend usually does 2 layers, and sprinkles crumbled wafers on top.


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Being a SAHM

Hey Guys!

I decided to write another personal post. I have gotten a lot of questions about why I chose to stay at home with my son. I didn't make this decision overnight, nor did I make it on the whim. I spent a lot of time thinking this over, and had a lot of discussions with my boyfriend.
When I had gotten pregnant, my boyfriend and I were in good financial position, so money wasn't an issue. I wanted to do what was best for my son. I was unemployed at the time, as I had recently been let go of my job, and didn't want to start a new job on the basis that I would be leaving soon.
I wanted to do what would be best for my son. I wanted to be available for my son at all times, and didn't want to miss out on his milestones. My parents didn't help out when it came to caring for him. In all honestly, they wanted to do it on their terms, which meant packing up a newborn and going over there, which isn't always practical. Also, they never offered to help out if I did return back to work. Either my boyfriend or I would need to have a flexible job. If we did decide to put my son in daycare, we would have to be able to pick him up by 6pm, which means we need to have a job that we can leave at any time. I don't drive, but my boyfriend does, so if I was the one to pick him up, public transit would be a hassle. We all know daycare is expensive, so I would need to find a job that would allow me to leave at a certain time everyday, and pay enough to cover daycare and bring home a substantial amount to make it worthwhile. This could be challenging.
I thank God, that it was feasible to stay at home with my son daily, because it made me the mother I am today. I never had help, and while I may have been tired, I was there for everything. My boyfriend worked odd hours, so some-days I would do it all by myself. I was the one who walked back and forth for hours trying to put him down, and balancing a new born, a dog and running a house. I feel more connected to my son because of that. There have been a lot of stories about daycare's abusing children, thank God I didn't put my son in one. I know those may be a few, but the chances of me putting my son in that danger is unfathomable. I worked with my son daily to get him at the level that he is at.As far as my child development, he is perfectly normal. He is more advanced with his gross/fine motor skills, he walked early, and is such a curious child. I loved rolling around with my son on the ground, and singing songs with him.
Looking back I don't know how I would have done it, if I was working. My son never napped in the daytime, then it switched to not sleeping at night. I don't know how I would have done it if I was a working mama. It allowed me to be flexible, and change my schedule to fit my sons needs. I didn't have to worry about going to bed on time, or how I would cope with 4 hours of sleep. What was more important, was that my boyfriend supported me. We both agreed it was best for our son to be with his mama. I am not saying that I would never go back to work, I already have plans to return when our son goes to school. I want to work from home, where I can make my own schedule and continue to be flexible, but fill my days with something productive.
I also loved being there for my boyfriend. I had worked before full time, and never saw my boyfriend. We were always on the go, and didnt see each other for about 4 days out of the week. I felt more connected to him, and felt apart of a family. I was able to connect to other mama's and even meet up with friends for my sanity. I loved friends coming over and spending time with Kayden. Even though I didnt breasatfeed for a long time, to have that luxury to do so in the privacy of my house was a plus. I also discovered blogging, which has turned into a passion of mine. I discovered other bloggers/youtubers and felt so connected with people across the world, who went through similar stuggles as me.

Being a stay at home mom isn't ideal for everyone, and I know it isn't feasible. For those who aren't able to do it, I feel for you, and I also commend you. You are strong women, stronger then I could ever be. Your plate will forever be stacked higher then mine, and I salute you.

Clinique Blended Face Powder

Hey Guys!

On my birthday, my dad had gotten me a clinique perfume, along came a gift with purchase. I love gift with purchases, it allows me to try products without buying them, and often gives me full sized seasonal lipsticks. One of the items was the blended face powder. I fell in love instantly! They did advise me that they are phasing out my color, so they recommended Stay Matte Universal Blotting Powder. I spoke to a beauty adviser and was told that it can be used as a setting powder as well, and recommended another product for the fall/winter months, when my skin is dry. If you can find your shade at the Clinique counter, I definitely suggest you buy it.

I love the Blended Face powder. I would apply it over my face after I was done with my makeup, and it was the finishing touch that I needed. It blended perfectly and made my face look airbrushed. I was always confident when I left the house, and I felt as though it completed my look. This is the first powder I have used on my face ( since I use a liquid foundation) and I don't feel the need to try another brand. It doesn't look cakey when I apply this, and I do use it heavily under my eyes to help set my concealer. It does keep everything in place, and I only need to reapply on my forehead and nose which tend to have some extra shine.

I would recommend this product to everyone. I have used this product in the fall/winter months as well, and I never had to reapply, probably because I don't have the excess oil. It makes your skin feel soft and silky.I personally love clinique, one of the main things I love is that their products are oil-free and are gentle on skin. I have never had any issues with their products, and I have tried foundations, lipsticks mascara's, perfume, eye shadows and face cleansers. I have never had a breakout and it has never irritated my skin. While I did get the recommendation to use another product during my dry months, I probably wouldn't have done that. I thought it worked the exact same, and gave me the same luxurious look without falling into my dry patches.

While this product is a bit pricey, going for around $25, it is worth every penny. I am still on the sample size and I have had it for over 6 months. I admit, I don't use it everyday as I don't wear makeup everyday, but a little bit truly goes a long way.

Wisdom Wednesday

I can't even tell you how much this quote spoke to me. I am going to start a new thing on my page called wisdom Wednesday. I often see quotes/posts online that speak to me, and I want to share them to all of you. My boyfriend and I have been going through a tough time the past couple of months, and I have questioned things often. I often wondered if the decisions we made in our life were the right one's. I sit back and have seen people lie and cheat to take the easy road in life. People don't want to work hard anymore and don't want to appreciate the small and meaningful things in life, but rather con and cheat for material things. We all have chosen different paths in life, but at the end of the day I can lay my head down at night peacefully, knowing no one will come knocking on my door.