Current Obsessions

Chanel Classic Flap Bag for my Birthday, July 5, 2014. A girl can dream right? The point is, this bag is $4,400.00 USD, LOL! Not funny really. I should look into the pre-owned market to see if I can find a good one :

And these from the Louis Vuitton S/S 2014 collection.
All these images came from this website: LV 2014 Spring Summer
You can buy them here soon!

Monogram Idole PM - $2,600.00

Very girlie and pretty:

More:

Cuir Nuance - $3,400.00

A super fake Stephen Sprouse Louis Vuitton Speedy!!

I found one, ha ha ha! It's always amuses me see how many fake Louis Vuitton bags are out there but it's also so funny. This time is the iconic Speedy, Victoria's Secret-Stephen Sprouse edition:

Novalash: Yes, I jumped into the Novalash train!

What is Novalash?
They are eyelash extensions glued to your own natural lashes by a certified expert. Mine were done by Cat at the In Style Hair hair salon in Waterford Lakes shopping center in Orlando. Cat is great and she's very professional and meticulous. The lashes look great and they really open your eyes!!!

Pros:

1. You won't need mascara at least for the first two weeks.
2. Your lashes will look fabulous all the time.
3. Your lashes will look so full.

Cons:

1. When your real lashes are growing it tends to itch.
2. You may loose some of the lashes between touch-ups which will give you an uneven look that you'll have to compensate by putting mascara. That's why I said that you'll need mascara after 2 weeks.
3. Some of the lashes in my left eye tend to stick to the lower lashes which it bothers me.
4. Touch ups are $100.00 (Ouch!) if done every 3 weeks. Can go higher, the longer you wait.

Even though you may think that cons are more than the pros, let me tell you that I'll do them all over again in a heartbeat. I will stick to special occasions and vacation for now. But at this moment I'll keep the ones that I have until they all grow back up or I will remove them professionally.

Before and After

Playing with make-up. 

3 weeks

How to talk about dead to a child? If there's a way...

I have a 4 year old. This morning I read an status update in Facebook of a dear friend of mine and she was asking this same question. It's hard to face the loss of a loved one but how do you explain that to a child?? How do you tell them that this person is no longer here with us? That your doggie or cat went to dog/cat heaven? How do you tell them? At a given point of our lives we may or may not have to face this situation and how to handle it? My thoughts are with her and her family...

The Weight Lost Journey with Jenny Craig now Shakeology with SouthBeach

The goal is 140!!  

Update: Almost 3 years later today 01/25/14, the goal is still the same. This time instead of Jenny Craig, I'm doing a combination of the South Beach Diet (SBD) and replacing a meal with a Shakeology shake. The meal that I always replace is the breakfast since lunch will be too hard to do. Between lunch and dinner there's around 7 hours difference. Between breakfast and lunch there's only 4 so I can handle breakfast better. I'm trying to be good with the bread and carbohydrates but I'm definitively addicted to carbs. I dream about having a piece of bread, yummie! This time around, my husband is doing the 14 days SBD phase 1 with me and let me tell you that he's doing great. Of course this is the first time that he tries this so its all new to him. I need a diet to keep me motivated otherwise I just loose interest which it leads to not loosing weight. Ugh. 

Disclaimer: I don't promote Shakeology neither I'm a Shakeology/Bodybeach coach. Please don't come here and offer coaching. This is just my personal life and points of view.

So this time to keep things simpler and exciting I'm doing the following:

1. Shakeology for breakfast. See some recipes below.
2. A chicken or tuna salad for lunch.
3. A good 4 ounces of any "allowed" meat with veggies or anything else that we come up to, of course following the SBD principles.
4. Cheese sticks, low sodium V8, ham and cheese rolls and almonds for snacks.
5. Lots of water.
6. And yeah, I drank a Cosmopolitan yesterday which isn't "allowed". Sigh.

Goal 140. Current weight: 158

My favorite Shakeology recipes:I modified the ingredients of some of them to my taste. They are pretty good and some are very dense if you add a package of original instant oatmeal.

Almond Mocha Chiller

1. One serving of chocolate Shakeology
2. 1/2 of coffee
3. 1/2 of unsweetened almond milk
4. 1/2 tsp of almond extract. Easy on the extract since this is a very powerful flavor.
5. 1 cup of ice
6. Put it all in the blender

Tiramisu

1. 1 serving of vanilla Shakeology
2. 1/2 cup of brewed coffee cooled
3. 1/2 unsweetened almond milk
4. 1 tbsp. of low fat ricotta cheese
5. 1 tsp of unsweetened Hershey cocoa
6. 1 cup of ice
7. 1/2 of cinnamon
8. Put it all in the blender

Strawberries and Cream

1. 1 serving of strawberry Shakeology
2. 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
3. 1/4 of ricotta cheese
4. A few raspberries
5. 1 cup of ice
6. Put it all in the blender

Traveling with a Baby

I'm sure you have lots of questions about it.  Let's begin with what I think every mom should pack before going to your next destination!

Packing:

1. Back pack: The backpack is essential if you like me have to travel with a laptop.  Put your purse inside the backpack, laptop and if your backpak has side pockets, put there your id, cellphone, keys, and boarding passes.  It will save you some time since you will know where everything is beforehand. Backpacks are unobtrosive and you will forget that is there.  Please don't make it too heavy!! 
2. Now that the laptop/purse problem is solved, then get your baby/diaper bag ready!  All of these things depend on the lenght of your flight. My recommendations are based on a three hour flight which is what I usually travel by myself.  More than that, ha!, I don't do it without my husband!!: 
   
   • Diaper bag: I always use a Vera Bradley Get Carried Away Tote since I can fit everything here plus it fits the overhead compartment.  This way I don't have to travel with a diaper bag plus another bag with everything else. Verabradley.com
• Birth certificate.  They usually don't ask for it and if your baby is like mine, BIG!, they will not believe that she is still under two years old! So keep one copy close. 
• Get a small first aid kit. You can buy them at any pharmacy or baby related store.  They ususally come with important things as band-aids in different sizes, ointment, aspirin or ibuprophen and other small first aid things. 
• Diapers: two or three.  
• Diaper change pad. Take the one that came in your main diaper bag. 
• Bibs: two is more than enough. 
• Cloths: One complete change of cloths for the baby and one for you!!  Yes, babies can get sick and anything can happen over you.  You should be ready to change your cloths otherwise you will be miserable, trust me! 
• Baby food: One serving of lunch/dinner (depending on the hour of the flight) and one serving of dessert. 
• Formula/Milk: Two servings and have your formula pre-measured.  You can buy one of those containers that you can separate the formula pre-measured or simply put the exact measured formula inside the bottles.  Don't pack water bottles since they aren't permitted in many airport security checkpoints. You can always buy them at the airport and if you need warm water for the formula, most of the Starbucks or any other restaurants can give you hot water for free.  Just remember to mix it with the cool one to avoid burning your little one. 
• Wipes.  The small package is sufficient for a short flight. 
• Pacifier(s). 
• Buggy wipes: they sell the travel size ones so you don't have to travel with the whole package. 
• Toys: small toys to keep them entertained. Get a new one just for the trip and they will be surprised. 
• If you have an iPhone or another phone with video capabilities, download some of their favorites shows.  I downloaded a few of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse shows and transferred them to my device and it was a sanity saver!! 
• Diaper rash paste. Small tube. 
• Tissues.  One small package is enough and put them in any outside pocket (if available). 
• I also carry with me: teething medicine, tylenol for babies, thermomether, Mylicon, Aleeve (for the mother) and prescribed medicines if she is taking any at the moment of the flight. 
• My Kindle!  If I have time and Amanda is sleeping, I read!

Feel free to add more to this list.  Many of these products can be find in travel sizes. Prepare your things ahead of time and it will save you lots of headaches. Safe travels!

With Rob at Key West