#BostonStrong

This is a prime example of why Boston is one of my favorite cities and why I am proud to be a Bay Stater. The spirit of the people of Boston is unlike any other.

"Just minutes after the capture of the second Boston Marathon bombing suspect, Bostonians leave their homes in which they've been locked down in for hours and come together in the streets to rejoice. Peaceful crowd shown applauding local police and singing our national anthem. Boston, you're my home." ~Bill Farrell

Video Credit: Bill Farrell's Facebook page.

Spring & Summer FUN!

Audrey and I started our Spring & Summer To-Do List this morning!

Help us fill ours up! What is on your list of fun things to do with your kids now that the weather is warming up?

♥ Boston ♥

My Top 5 Favorite Beauty Products

Since Audrey was born, I don't have as much of a beauty routine as I used to. I don't even wear makeup everyday. But I do have a few products that I just can't live without. I thought I'd share them with you in case you aren't aware of their awesomeness yet!

1. Baby Oil! The brand doesn't matter. I bought this bottle to make some Moon Sand for Audrey to play with. There was so much left over that I decided to use it to shave my legs. I've always just used soap, but I saw on Pinterest that it makes your legs smooth and protects your razor, so I thought I'd give it a try. And it is everything Pinterest claims it to be! My legs are so smooth and my razor lasts forever! Plus a bottle of generic brand baby oil is only about $2. I'll never go back to shaving with soap again!

2. Baking Soda! In my quest to slowly rid our household of chemicals, I've been using baking soda a lot! My favorite way to use it is as a facial exfoliant. I mix a little bit with water to make a paste and gentling rub it in a circular motion on my face. I find it is too harsh for my face every single day, so I use it once a week. It is also great to brush your teeth with and I even have friends using it as shampoo.

3. Coconut Oil! I'm obsessed with coconut oil. I've been using it to bake lately and it is great for removing eye makeup and even brushing your teeth. But my favorite use is for my hair! I rub a palm full in my hands to start to melt it and massage it into dry hair. You want to make sure you saturate your hair completely, then I twist it up in a clip. Let it sit in there for about 30 minutes, then shampoo it out. I do this once a week and my hair is super soft and shiny. I tend to do it on a day that I'm not really going anywhere because it can leave your hair a little greasy that first day. But if you have to go somewhere, you could always shampoo your hair twice to get it all out.

4. Maybelline Full 'N Soft Waterproof Mascara! If you are a blond eyelashed, sensitive blue eyed girl like I am, waterproof mascara is a must! If I don't put a speck of other makeup on, you can be sure I'm putting on mascara. You can't see my eyelashes otherwise, and it really makes a big difference. I personally love this Maybelline product. It isn't super heavy or clumpy, and for a waterproof mascara it comes off pretty easily and completely.

5. The Body Shop's Aloe Soothing Night Cream! I first received this cream as a gift. I'm a creature of habit and don't usually try new products if I have something that I already love, so I was skeptical at first. But I love this. It leaves my skin so soft and radiant, without being greasy. I don't only use it at night either. If I'm not wearing makeup that day, I'll use this instead of my regular moisturizer. I've found that it is a little too heavy to wear under foundation.

So there you have it, the top 5 beauty products I can't live without! If you haven't already, you should try them out!

Do you have a favorite beauty product that you just can't live with out? If so, please share!



*I was not compensated in any way by any of the companies who make these products, nor was I asked to review them. These are simply products I use, love and purchased myself, and opinions are entirely my own.* 

Out of the mouths of babes...

This conversation actually happened with my two year old yesterday.

Audrey: I want a sandwich.

Me: I'm sorry. What was that?

Audrey: Please?

Me: "Please" what?

Audrey: Please can I have a sandwich, Mama? I don't want to have to say it again.

HA! I guess she does listen to me! It gets better...

Me: I wouldn't want you to have to say it again. That was a very nice way to ask, thank you. What kind of sandwich would you like?

Audrey: Penguins! (She has a penguin sandwich cutter.)

Me (laughing): Okay, but what would you like me to put on your sandwich?

Audrey (exasperated): You make a sandwich with bread, Mama!

Me: I know that, sweetheart. What would you like Mama to put on the bread?

Audrey: Well, peanut butter and jelly sounds nice.

I swear I couldn't make up half the things that come out of her mouth if I tried!

Spinach Salad

Spinach is one of my favorite vegetables. I like it cooked, but I love it raw! We use it in our Green Monster smoothies all the time. But when I'm craving a salad, I usually prefer spinach to lettuce. I came up with this salad one day and it has become one of my favorite combinations.

My Favorite Spinach Salad

Fresh baby spinach

Hard boiled egg

Toasted pine nuts

Dried cranberries

Ranch dressing

You can use any amounts that look right to you. Specific measurements aren't necessary. To me, toasting the pine nuts is a must. Just put them in a dry, hot pan and keep them moving around. Watch them closely because it doesn't take long for them to go from perfectly toasted to burnt. And of course, it can't be any old ranch dressing. It has to be my favorite one, because for me nothing else compares. But you can use any dressing you like.

Currently...

I am currently...

...disliking...
~Warrior I pose (or my thighs are at least!)
~the amount of sickness in our house.
~ginger (even though I try so hard to like it because I know it's good for me.)

...liking...
~baking with coconut oil.
~all the sunshine we've had the last few days.
~Slacker Radio instead of Pandora.

...obsessing over...
~pretty, flowing, feminine fonts.
~wearing my hair in a ballerina bun.
~this Brett Dennen song (not the video, just the song):

L L F M D: There is a difference between inspiration and copying.

12. There is a difference between inspiration and copying.

This can be a difficult one, peanut. It is a fine line, but it's an important one to learn because it applies to so many different things. Whether it be art, photography, writing, dance, music or just who you want to be, we create because we are inspired by something. Figure out why you are inspired by something, and then use that to create something all your own. You can utilize someone else's idea, but the result should be something different. Put you into whatever you are doing. Create something instead of recreating it.

Looking for inspiration? Look somewhere other than the genre you will be creating in. When I am looking for photography inspiration, I generally find myself looking to nature or song lyrics or scripture, not to other photographs. Does that mean that I'm not inspired by other photographs? No, of course not. But when I'm inspired by another photograph, I try to figure out what it is about that photograph that draws me in. I try to create that intriguing element, not recreate the actual image. 

Laughing at yourself

Everyone is sick in our house. My husband has mono. Ugh! Taking care of someone with mono is exhausting, let me tell you! Between tending to him, and keeping Audrey away from him, and keeping everything sanitized, it just never ends. Audrey has a sinus infection, has been up almost all night the last 3 nights coughing, and isn't eating much because her belly hurts. And me...well I'm exhausted! And yesterday I started feeling a little under the weather myself. But I'm taking my fire cider everyday and Epsom salt baths and downing water to flush out my system like it is going out of style! And today I feel a little better.

But anyway, this post isn't really about us being sick. On Tuesday morning, I decided to boil Audrey's binky because of all the sickness in our house. Then it goes a little something like this:

Sterilizing last binky in the house.

Didn't hear the buzzer go off.

Forgot about it while reading to Audrey.

All water boiled out of the pan.

Binky melted to bottom of pan.

Whole house smelled like burnt plastic.

Audrey only uses her binky at nap time and bedtime, but when she's sick, she NEEDS it! We're going to get rid of the binky altogether very soon, so this was the last one left in the house. I knew I was in trouble. So, I told her the truth. I showed her the pan, told her Mommy made a mistake and melted it, and we threw it in the trash together. She gave me a big hug and said, "Don't be sad, Mommy. I forgive you." Then we laughed. She is sweet, but we would see later on how much she forgave me when it was time to sleep.

So this was it! We were going cold turkey no binky! Or so I thought. Nap time was non-existent, but I don't really think it was because of the binky. She is starting to not need a nap on some days anyway. Then came bedtime...

She was over-tired from not napping, not feeling well, and coughing like crazy as soon as she laid her head down. Cue the tantrum of your nightmares. " I! WANT! MY! BINKYYYYY!" There was no reasoning with her. Luckily, I found another binky in the diaper bag. She had bitten through it partially, so I really didn't want her using it and was planning on throwing it away, but I forgot. Thank God! As soon as she had it, she went right to sleep.

So finally, I'll get to my point. I could have had a meltdown about the disaster. I could have called myself a bad mom and criticized myself. At one point in my life, I probably would have. But you want to know what I did? I laughed! I told my daughter the truth and she forgave me. We laughed and I said to her, "Silly Mommy!" Too many of us are too hard on ourselves as parents. You want to do the best by your children, but sometimes the best thing is showing them that you make mistakes too. I honestly believe that laughing at things like this is the key to surviving motherhood with at least some of your sanity in tact!

And survive I will! At least until we actually do try to get rid of the binky...