Why you should pamper yourself this Christmas...

So here we are! Two days before Christmas! Craaaazzzzyyyy!

Where has this year gone?

I've been wanting to get this post up for the last week or so but you know, life happens!

Sooooo... what I'm here to tell you today is to get dolled up this Christmas Eve/Christmas!

I usually am pretty lazy on Christmas day. I like to be in jammies and just relax from all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season but you never know how I'll feel this Christmas!

The reason I say get dolled up is because looking cute makes us feel fab! And giirrrl, after all the hard-work you put in daily and overtime with the holidays, you deserve to look and feel cute!

The picture above was from my birthday about two weeks ago. I did one of those wine and paint nite classes with my mom and two best friends and I had a blast! My birthday was so relaxing! I got my mani/pedi in the morning followed by a hair and makeup appointment at Ulta. It felt good to be pampered! And what topped it all off, hubby was a good sport and did not call me AT ALL to bother me about baby drama! Can i get amen?!

I felt so good, so relaxed and so pretty! 

If you have errands to run, last minute shopping to do, cooking to do, gifts to wrap, etc. schedule some "me time," you deserve it, you need it and you'll feel great and more refreshed!

Even if you don't have time to squeeze in a pamper appointment, take the extra 20-30 minutes getting ready and do your hair and makeup! Believe me, someone will compliment you while you're out! And that one compliment will make you feel like a million bucks! 

Life is stressful ladies. As moms, it's very easy to put ourselves on the back burner. Which is why it's important that we take care of ourselves! We're the nurturers so no one is going to remind us to do anything for ourselves. And I completely understand that running after a toddler or being at the beck and call of a newborn makes it so exhausting to put effort into "me." That extra 20-30 minutes getting ready might seem like a lot but trust me, the pay off is worth it! 

So, do something for yourself this Christmas! Get cute! Look fab! You'll love it! 

Ciao! XoXo

My experience with a c-section...

As I'm quickly approaching that time again, (38 weeks today hence my lack of blog posts) I wanted to share a bit of my birthing experience because I've noticed a trend in the way people view Cesarean deliveries!

Now let me first say this, PEOPLE! A CESAREAN ISN'T ALWAYS A BAD THING! STOP MAKING A PREGNANT WOMAN FEEL BAD IF SHE TELLS YOU THAT'S HER METHOD OF DELIVERY! 

I know in some cultures they believe you aren't a "real woman" if you do not have a baby natural and without any medication. That's old school and a crock of you know what. Cesarean deliveries are JUST as common as natural deliveries and they aren't always because of a "problem." Every woman is different. Every woman's body can endure different things. Every pregnancy is different! What was easy for one, may have been almost impossible to another. Which is why i say STOP! Stop trying to force natural birth on a woman, Stop gasping and shrieking when a woman tells you her method of delivery, Stop turning your nose up, Stop thinking a cesarean somehow equates to a problem or an inferior way to deliver. 

With that out the way, here's my story:

With my pregnancy with my daughter, I had been told since about 36-37 weeks that I would delivery by way of a cesarean. Reason being? My birth canal was small and I wasn't dilating, although she was in position and ready! (I know, a lot of people say "doctor's just want more money so they tell you that" if that's the way you think about your doctor, you already have a problem. Call me naive but I've haven't encountered a doctor who was not worried about my well being) 

So, about 2 days before my due date, I started having contractions and went into labor and was admitted to the hospital on my due date. Now, I CHOSE to deliver at a hospital that did not have my records and that my doctor did not deliver at and of course it was a Saturday. So, because I was in active labor, this hospital asked if I wanted to try natural and since I had been made to feel that having a c-section was a problem, I said "yes, i will try BUT DO NOT HESITATE to give me a c-section as my doctor has already made a c-section appointment for this Monday." So, i got my epidural and i felt great! I was talking and laughing through labor like there wasn't an earthquake striking my body every 3 minutes! By 8-9 centimeters dilated, my cervix had swollen up and my daughter's heart rate dropped and mine shot up, which resulted in an "emergency c-section." 

Fast forward to this pregnancy:

Being that all this took place a little  over a year ago (16 months to be exact), I am scheduled for another c-section because my pregnancies are so close together and if i try and go natural, I run the risk of bursting my incision. Am i worried? No! I actually prefer to deliver by way of a c-section because I've healed great from my last one and I'd hate to ruin a good thing trying to go natural just because "it's the norm."

I write this as a post of possible inspiration. I hope to inspire women to not be scared of a cesarean. Like I said, every woman's body is different and that includes during pregnancy. You and your doctor know what you can handle and do not do anything YOU aren't comfortable with! I also hopes this inspires people to drop the idea of c-sections being abnormal or only because of a problem. If you have an acquaintance, friend, or loved one who is going to deliver by way of c-section, be supportive! It's not  always a bad thing! It's child birth! It's not meant to be pretty! Natural deliveries sure aren't pretty! And just because you may have had children natural, doesn't mean that's another woman's path. 

Life throws us all curve balls and in my experience, going natural was actually detrimental to my child and I, so my doctor was right and wasn't just trying to get more money. And come on, with as many women that get pregnant daily, do you really think a doctor is hurting for c-section money? It's not like pregnancy is going extinct any time soon lol 

Images found on google

My Baby Registry Picks!!

Baby Registries... For some women, they're fun! (Like me lol I use any excuse to go to a store) for some women, it's dreadful. But nonetheless, it's necessary if you plan on having a baby shower! 

These days, registries are on line and in almost every store that sells baby stuff but I personally rate my favorites based on the gifts (newborn freebies and samples!) and the ease of the process!! 

So, this post is dedicated to the 3 places I chose to do my registries at. Yes, I did 3 lol all because of the freebies! Lol don't judge me! I love free stuff! But also so that my friends and family have a variety of stores to choose from! I'll go in order of favorites staring with number 1:

Number 1 favorite: TARGET 

Target gets the top spot mainly because of the variety of samples (that I will actually put to use) and the ease of the process this time around! Target has implemented some improvements on the registry process in the last year. You literally walk in to customer service, tell them you want to create a registry, and they give you an iPhone where you create the registry and scan items! Then, when you're finished, you can email/text yourself the DIRECT link to your registry!! I found this to be super useful and handy! People will ask you until the day of the shower "where did you register/what do you want for the baby" (even if they received an invitation so clearly some people don't pay attention but we love them nonetheless lol) that's where you reply with your registry link! They have it right on their phone! No need to waste paper or any more time! I love that genius addition! Then look at what you get! Wipes, a full sized bottle, pacifier, etc. plus tons of coupons! Target has my top vote! 

Runner up: BUY BUY BABY

I read great reviews about Buy Buy Baby's registry gift pack so I decided to give them a try. I wasn't super impressed but I wasn't super disappointed either. I do like the full can of enfamil (I plan on breastfeeding but you never know if you might need formula) and the Bio-Oil stretch mark gel! The staff made this experience pleasant! They were so cheerful and happy to help! (Getting an ice cold water was nice too. Especially since registry scanning is quite time consuming) I think what makes this number 2 is it's literally the "Bed Bath & Beyond" for baby stuff! They are owned by the same people and you can even use "Bed Bath & Beyond" coupons there! NICE! 

Honorable Mention: BABIES R US

This gift pack had to be the least of my favorites because look at it lol it's scarce compared to the other 2. What I thought was coupons, was actually pamphlets to easily scan items. That is nice and efficient I guess but where are the discounts?! I was a little disappointed in this one. I love Babies R Us but this gift pack could've been better. However, I LOVE that Babies R Us has a program where after the baby is born, they will send you a gift card with 10% back of what was spent on your registry! So, if your family and friends combined spend $1,000, you get a gift card worth $100! I think that's amazing! That really came in handy for us when we had our daughter! 

So, there you have it! My registry picks, why and my reviews of them! I know this is a longer post but I hope it helps a mommy to be out there! ;)