You really should... Visit Oak Glen!

So, about 2 almost 3 weeks ago my family and I went up the mountain in Yucaipa, CA and visited Oak Glen! OH MY GOSH! I fell in LOVE! If you don't know what Oak Glen is, It's a mountain area (I'm not sure how many miles it runs) that has various cute little farms! During the fall, it's Harvest season so you can pick your own raspberries, apples, pumpkins, makes your own apple cider, do some shopping, of course eating and enjoying the weather! Because, if you're a desert girl like me, you do not get to experience much of any climate besides HOT! and I WAS MADE FOR THE FALL! haha! I love everything about it! The food, the ambiance, the fashion, the aroma, thanksgiving, the weather, i just love the fall! 

Anywho, we got up there pretty late in the day and they do close at 5pm so I recommend getting there at least by 12-1pm so you aren't pressed for time! The farm we visited was Los Rios Rancho. It was so cute and quaint and had all the activities listed above! We grubbed on some bbq, homemade apple crumble crisp pie, apple slaw and of course fresh cider! I had to have iced cider with my bbq then a hot one once it got chilly! haha! We also just enjoyed the ambiance of the trees and weather and took a punch of pics! 

If you're ever looking for a fun fall activity or family day, head to Oak Glen! You won't be disappointed! If you don't have plans Thanksgiving weekend after stuffing your face and going black friday crazy, head to Oak Glen! They're having an apple butter festival! Scroll down to see pics from our day there! 

 The family! Kaleia (my daughter), Keith (ny husband), Yours truly, Keileb (my son), 

My mom and in the back my sister Taylor! 

 Apple Slaw! It was so good! 

 It's so hard to get babies to cooperate with a family selfie! lol 

 Daddy and Kaleia! 

 My little mommas boy! His favorite place is in my arms :) 

 Had to get our selfie in while in line for our bbq!

 Apple crumb crisp pie! I know it looks like a pile of crisp but it was good! lol

My pulled pork sandwich! yummy! 

Last Minute Costume Idea!

Helllooooooo guys!! Long time, no see!! or write... you know what I mean! 

I have been super busy with school, the babies, and just life in general! 

But not to worry! I'm going to make more of an effort here! 

Anywho! The reason why I'm here today is because it's officially October 30th! Like seriously, where has this year went! Only two months left of 2015! sheesh! but back to why we're here, now, today. It's the day before Halloween! and you know what that means! 

Last minute costumes are in FULL EFFECT!

I'm such a fan of Pinterest! I really love that site. It's probably the greatest online invention EVER! I seriously pinterest something before googling it! 

So, this year I took to Pinterest for costume ideas yet again! And I LOVED my costume!

And can I say, it cost me about 7 bucks and took ten minutes to make! 

I was a "Cereal Killer" haha! Get it?

Interested in how and what it takes to make this costume? Keep reading!

What you need:

A simple/comfy outfit (I chose leggings, a white tee and an older chambray shirt.)

I owned all these items so no expense there!

Combat boots (or something similar) 

Mini cereal boxes (8-pack at my local target for $3.19)

Spray Blood (my local costume shop for $2.98)

Plastic knives (had those on hand too)

safety pins (already had) 

red lipstick (already had)

What you do:

1. Get your outfit together. 

It took me about 4 outfit changes before deciding on this. I wanted to be comfy and cute but I also wanted it to look like a costume without being "skanky"

2. Using your red lipstick, write "cereal killer" on the back 

3. Take all the cereal out of the boxes

you can eat them right away if you want but I chose to wait haha!

4. Safety pin the boxes to the shirt wherever you'd like 

5. Hang the shirt or have someone hold it for you and spray paint the blood everywhere!

I'd do this outside just in case your spray is messy. Mine wasn't too bad.

And Wahlah! You're done! Quick, cheap, last minute Halloween Costume! 

You're welcome!

Comment below if you loved this idea and would like to see posts like this! 

Ciao! 

Why I've been MIA... Newborn Hazing!

Whew! It has definitely been awhile since my last blog post and here's why! :) 

I gave birth to my beautiful baby boy on August 15, 2015 at 9:47 pm by way of VBAC! 

(insert jaw drop face here)

SO! As we know from my last post, I was prepared (call me crazy but I was excited too) to have another c-section! Well, the Doctor (not my primary) talked me into trying Vaginal Birth After C-section and I did it! whhhaaaaaattt?! So crazy! 

I was in labor beginning the 14th of August around noon and what was I doing? looking for a new house! AND my hospital bag wasn't even packed! I was house hunting, visiting a family member in the hospital and running errands while having contractions! I know, I'm pretty much insane but I'm so last minute and beyond impatient and the last thing I wanted was to be in a hospital waiting for them to check me in or send me home (which the 1st hospital did do - annoying). 

So, after doing all that, packing my bag, going to the hospital I had my daughter at just to get turned away, I went to another hospital and checked in around 11:00 am on Saturday the 15th. The doctor in triage talked me into trying for VBAC and 10 1/2 hours later, my baby boy was born! 

Recovery has been a breeze! I have to remember I'm still recovering from child birth and force myself to rest and relax. My son is healthy and getting chunkier by the day thanks to mommas milk! (i love breastfeeding)  We found and moved in to a new home over labor day weekend, so it's been a pretty hectic time for me but I am so happy and blessed overall! I do occasionally get the baby blues and have my emotional/overwhelming days because dealing with a newborn and a toddler is A HOT MESS! But hey! I'm a mom! I'm sure EVERY mom has those days regardless of the children's ages!

So, if any of you have been wondering where me and my blog posts have been, this is why we've been MIA! :) 

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! ;) 

My challenge to mommies!!

Hey lovelies! 

So I posted this picture on Instagram and Facebook, and the inspiration I got for a blog post was a little deeper than "style." 

Being that this blog is super new, I'm sure you all don't know that I am 33 weeks along in my second pregnancy. That's about 8 months! So I'm pretty close to meeting our next little addition to our growing family! Super exciting! 

But this also means, I get very little "me time." 

Anywho, back to the inspiration. When I took this picture I was on my way to my best friend's birthday dinner and it made me stop and think how important it is to get dolled up and have some girl time! I have been so wrapped up in my growing family, building my businesses, launching my blog and everything baby and toddler related that I often forget to have ME time! NO BUENO! 

We can't forget about ourselves ladies!

The importance in taking some "me time" is crucial! Especially when you have a family depending on you to hold everything together. Taking some time to yourself can refresh you, de-stress you, rejuvenate you and give you some time to miss your loved ones so that life isn't just going through the motions and being taken for granted. You are the lifeline of your family! Take care of you so that you can take care of them with energy and even more love! 

So, once a week, take some time to yourself! Get your nails done, get a massage, enjoy happy hour, have a girls night, visit Barnes and Noble and enjoy a good read and a coffee, host/attend a jewelry party (wink wink). Whatever you love and you haven't done in awhile or before, DO IT! 

Get out! Get Dressed! Get that "me time" you deserve!

Why I chose Park Lane Jewelry...

First, what is Park Lane?

Park Lane Jewelry is a leading direct sales company that specializes in high quality fashion jewelry. 

The company was founded in 1955 in Chicago by Shirley Levine and to this day it is still family owned and operated! They have a parternship with E! Network and E! has it's own catalog and line with the company AND Park Lane provides all the Jewelry for Dancing with the Stars. Cool, right?

Now, before you start rolling your eyes and thinking this is a bogus pyramid scheme company, let me tell you what made me join!

I went to my first jewelry show in August 2014 and really didn't think much of it. Really, I was just going because my mom wanted to go. haha! Once we arrived, I fell IN LOVE with the jewelry! I was trying on and taking pics of EVERYTHING! I was shocked to see that it wasn't outdated or crappy! Plus, I went home with like 4 pieces of FREE jewelry just by playing games that night and agreeing to host my own show!

So, I held my party in November (really, just to get more free jewelry) and to my surprise the Director of the show presented me with the Diamond Couture set (found here) I fell in love with at the previous party JUST for having a show! Not to mention, I took home around $300 worth of free jewelry that night! So, after my party the Director tells me how much my party earned in sales and how much I'd earn in commission if I was the director! She expressed how I would be really good at joining the business. I pretty much was doing her job for her at my show. I knew the customer specials and crazy customer sale plus the hostess specials like the back of my hand! I knew this because I'm always looking for a great deal and I want THE MOST for THE LEAST! haha!

So i decided to give it a shot! I loved the jewelry, I loved the sale and I loved the hostess perks so why not get paid to promote and sell it? I went to Park Lane's annual Las Vegas Convention in February of this year and that changed the game for me! Learning the company's beliefs and seeing how many women are successful with this company (8% make 100K+) inspired me to hit the ground running! I wanted to quit my corporate job when I got home! haha! I was in love with this company! 

So, that is my "why Park Lane?" I love the company, I really love the perks and pay and I am obsessed with the jewelry! If you don't love your job, why stay? Life's too short to not do something you love and that brings you happiness and Park Lane brings me that and more! 

If you have any questions on the company, what I do or how you can see, purchase or earn the jewelry, just click here to email me and I will be more than happy to share any and all info with you! 

  

Welcome to Modamomnbabes!

Welcome to Modamomnbabes!

With my very first blog post, I wanted to introduce myself  and let you all know my motivation behind creating this blog!  (I've been brainstorming and going back and forth on blog ideas literally for years haha!)

A little about me, (I hope this isn't repetitive) I am a Stay at Home mommy of a one-year old baby girl  and currently expecting baby number 2 in August! It's a boy! yay! I've been married for about 4 months now, so I guess you can say I'm still a newlywed! I am a current freelance Personal Stylist and Fashion Director for Park Lane Jewelry! (I'm in the process of transitioning from "stay at home mom" to "work from home mom" lol)

So why the blog? Why now? and What to expect?

Why the blog? Well the short answer is, I LOVE GIVING ADVICE! I'm always giving someone advice on something rather it's an outfit, relationship problem, party idea, etc. I just love sharing my brain with people so why not a blog?! 

After leaving my corporate job with event sales in March, I knew the time was now to dive into what I love! I love my family, I love fashion, I love trying out new products and giving my opinion so why not share these things online?

You can expect pretty much anything mommy related here! However, you don't have to be a mom or mommy to be to engage and get to know me! I'm here to build a relationship with my readers, answer your questions, give advice on things you want see and make more friends! The posts you will see will range from product reviews to fashion/style posts, mommy/pregnancy posts and you may even see some event planning posts! Nothing is off limits here! I'm a mom and as we all know that title wears many hats! 

So stay tuned, have fun and let's be friends!