My Mom’s Secrets To Looking Hot At 50!

Hey y’all!

So everyone always says my mom looks so good for her age or looks like my sister. Even one of my friends who hasn’t seen her in a year said that she hasn’t aged at all since she met her in 5th grade! It’s like I get older and she gets younger! One of my life goals is to look as good as her when I’m half a century old lol. So I got all of her secrets!

LOOK GOOD WHEREVER YOU GO

My mom always gets on me about going out in public looking homeless. I’m like, “Mom, I’m going to 711 and coming back. It’s not that serious.” She doesn’t care if I’m walking to the mailbox. At some point in the morning, you need to do your hair and make up and pick out a decent outfit. I don’t even think my mom owns a regular tshirt. I stay wearing tshirts and shorts unless I feel like looking pretty that day. She says, you never know who you’ll run into, which is so true. **And she says the likelihood of your husband leaving you will decrease if you keep up with yourself bahahahaha!

Also, keep your nails done. She doesn’t go to the nail salon and get acrylic nails or anything. But, she makes sure her nail polish looks fresh.

EAT HEALTHY

She is all about organic food and not overeating. She eats fruits, vegetables, and refuses to eat processed food (because it’s cancerous lol). So all that mac-n-cheese, pre-packaged sides, hot dogs, and shit, she doesn’t eat that. It literally disgusts her. She does have 1 weakness though. Rice. Hahahaha typical Asian. She noticed that when she eat too much rice, she gets pudgy, so she tries to eat it in moderation.

If you don’t buy the unhealthy food when you go grocery shopping, then you won’t have the temptations to eat it at home. She rarely bought chips and unhealthy snacks when I was growing up. So I was forced to snack on fresh fruits and crap. Her snacks consist of fruit, nuts, and sometimes these yummy snacks called “thinaddictives.”

TAKE CARE OF YOUR SKIN AND BODY

My mom is all about trying new anti-aging products, but there is one skin care line she has used since I was in 4th grade. It’s Mary Kay’s Timewise. She has used this religiously in combination of the random products she tests out.

Sunscreen! She likes to go outside alot, whether it’s in her garden or going fishing. She protects her face with sunscreen to prevent wrinkles. She tries to not hang out outside when the sun is blazing and the UV rays are strongest.

She doesn’t smoke cigarettes and she barely ever drinks alcohol. I can live without the cigarettes. They make you smell like smoke, your teeth yellow, and your skin prematurely age. The alcohol, mmm I love my wine and don’t plan on giving that up! But refraining from drinking does decrease your calorie intake.

SLEEP! This is a biggy to her too. If you’re lacking sleep, it jacks you and your body all up. Get at least 8 hours of sleep. You’ll feel rested, happier, your body digests food better supposedly.

STAY ACTIVE

Obviously, if you sit on your ass all day, you’re gonna get fat. The pounds are just gonna pile on. She works out in the morning on her Total Gym workout machine thing. She’s been slacking these days but she’s still skinny, but she misses being toned. She says to stay movin, movin, movin!

STAY AWAY FROM STRESS

Stress causes wrinkles. Wrinkles make you look old. My mama is all about trying to be stress free.

Well, I hope starting this routine at a young age keeps me young forever! haha

Life After Becoming A New Mom: Great Read For Expectant & New Mamas

Hey y’all!

I never read the baby books on parenting while I was pregnant and I never really grew up around newborns as I was older. So, when I was pregnant, I truly had no Idea what to expect. I knew that every said you’re going to be a zombie for the first few months, you’ll fall in love, and it’s the hardest job ever. There are so many things that don’t even cross your mind until you become a mother. I’m gonna go over some of the most obvious and unexpected challenges and experiences as a new mom.

1. At first it’s easy, then it gets hard, then it gets easier! When Easton was first born, I thought being a parent was WAY easier than everyone was talking about. He slept ALL the time so it really wasn’t that difficult. The only challenging part was waking up in the middle of the night to feed him. Then… He started sleeping less. He went from sleeping 8 hours during the day to only 15 to 40 minutes a day because he struggled to take a nap. (Thank God he grew out of that phase and takes two 1-2 hour naps a day).

2. People tell you to not hold your baby all day because it makes them needy or whatever. I didn’t care. I held my son ALL the time and had no shame in it! I loved holding him and feeling that strong bond. I’m glad I did too! Now that he’s 7 months old, he’s not about that snuggle life AT ALL. So, I’m glad I took advantage of all the snuggling while I could. If you wanna hold your baby all the time, do it! They grow WAY faster than you think.

3. Debating if you really need to run errands. When Easton was a newborn, it was easy to take him out all the time because he would sleep during most of it. Now I’m like, mmmm do I reallyyy have to do that? There is so much involved to go out with a baby. It takes me at least an extra 30 minutes to get out the door if I bring Easton. I have to pick out his outfit, change his diaper, put lotion on him, dress him. Has he eaten yet? Will he be hungry while I’m out? How long will I realistically be gone? Pack his milk. Decide whether or not I need to pack his real food. Are there diapers and wipes in the diaper bag? Does he have a spare outfit in the diaper bag in case he spits up or has a blow out? Did you start the car to make sure it’s cool or warm enough? By the time you’ve finished alllll that, your baby is probably hungry again lol. Or right when you are ready to throw them in the carseat, they probably shit theirself. AND there goes an hour!

4. Nap time. Naps are crucial for babies! It will make or break y’all’s day. No joke. That’s another thought I factor in when I debate if I want to run errands. Easton is at this age now where he won’t nap while I’m out or he’ll sleep for only 15-30 minutes instead of his normal 1-2 hours. I don’t want to deal with a cranky baby who is sleep deprived. So if you want to run errands around nap time, see if you can just wait til after their nap.

5. You will be EXHAUSTED. Your child will eventually develop a predictable routine with eating and sleeping. Easton religiously wakes up at 6 AM ready to eat and play. I am SO cranky before 9:30 AM. It is a constant struggle deciding if you want to take a nap with your baby or get shit done while they’re sleeping. It’s so much easier for me to get ready for the day while he’s sleeping. But I’m so tired, I’m like I need an extra hour of beauty sleep before I murder someone! I also love napping with Easton. It’s my only way to get my snuggles in now.

6.  You are either gonna have a baby who can entertain theirself or wants you to be in there face 24/7. Easton wants me to be within sight all the time or he will FREAK OUT. I’m sure this is because I held him so much lol. He’s been getting a little better while playing in his walker, exersaucer, or jumper. But it’s hard to get things done when he cries after 5 minutes. As cruel as it sounds, if your baby is fed, changed, and well rested, sometimes you’ll just have to let them cry to get what you need done.

7. You will lose friends! Mark my words. Your “friends” won’t hit you up as much. They probably assume you’re busy with your baby. Or maybe they just don’t want to be around children. I’ve noticed that I have had to be the one to reach out to friends just to hang out. I got over that shit real quick. If they’re really you’re friend, they will call or text you and see if you want to hang out with the baby. You’ll quickly find out whose your true friends.

8. Deciding what car to get… Lord. Originally I had a tahoe which would have been the perfect mama truck but it had high miles so I got rid of it. Then I got another perfect mama truck, a lifted suburban, but it was ridiuclous on gas. Then I got a Kia Optima. WORST MISTAKE EVER. I should have never sold the suburban. I don’t know how parents do it with cars! I honestly feel like you have to have a SUV to be functional. When I take Easton to my mom’s or Kelsey’s mom’s, I can’t fit shit in my car. I have a stroller in the back that takes up all the space. The diaper bag is huge. I can’t pack his walker or exersaucer because it doesn’t fit. We can’t even go on a family vacation in my car because all the bags and baby stuff, (high chair, jumper, walker, or any entertaining play items for easton) won’t fit! It’s honestly worth paying more for gas just to have the extra space.

9. You will realize how much of a control freak you are when you become a mother! I know Colton is 100% capable of doing things, but I would rather just do it myself because it’s the way I want it done. Whether it’s packing the diaper bag, giving baths, or picking out outfits. Another way I’m a control freak is when I decide what is acceptable. For the longest time, I didn’t feel comfortable with Colton’s little sister holding Easton because she’s so tiny and he is so squirmy and half her weight almost. I also HATE when strangers try to touch Easton. I’m like uh… and try to get in the way and act like I’m wiping something off his face

10. When people give you advice or make comments. You’ll either think they just need to shut up and keep their advice to themselves or it will actually be useful information. Or you’ll just think, “you’re giving me advice? Bitch, look at how your kids turned out”.  And nothing irritates me more than when people tell me Easton has a HUGE head. Uhm, yeah probably because he’s smart! You got some big balls to be telling his mama that! Just try to ignore the annoying comments or say something back so they know not to say that to another mother.

That’s all I can think of at the moment, but I will add more thoughts later.

Formula Mamas ! You Need This In Your Life NOW!

Hey y’all!

Originally I breastfed and it didn’t work out, so I switched to formula. It was such a hassle having to microwave the water for the formula and it being too hot or too cold. I would have to dirty a coffee mug because I don’t microwave my baby bottles because I heard the chemicals or whatever can seep into the milk when heated up that bad. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I’m not heating up his plastic bottle. So anyways, it would take me forever to get his milk straight before he stopped screaming bloody murder. Then one day, I came upon this gift from Heaven! The Baby Brezza! It’s the baby’s version of a Keurig! It’s AMAZING! I’ve had it since Christmas.

Where to buy it? Cheapest place I’ve seen is Sams Club. I think my mom got it for me for $109 or maybe $115. It was on sale. I think other places sell it for $145. But it’s worth every penny!

It heats the milk up to 98.6 degrees. There’s no measuring water or scooping the formula. You literally just select the number of ounces you need and hit start. Then 7 seconds later, you got your baby’s milk! It’s so nice to have especially when you still have to feed in the middle of the night and you’re in zombie mode.

The cons: It SUCKS when you forget to fill it back up with water when you run out. It takes a few minutes to heat it up to the right temperature. The spot where it dispenses the powder, builds up after a few uses so you have to remember to clean it off every 3 to 4 uses so that you have the correct amount of powder. It says that this happens in the manual so it’s not messed up or anything.

The last thing that sucks is you get severely attahed and spoiled by this lifesaver. If you go on a weekend trip, it feels like a necessity to pack. Making milk the old fashion way is just such a hassle. This keeps the screaming and crying to a minimum when they get hungry. I recommend this product to anyone and everyone I know who uses formula! It’s life changing! (I’m not a rep for this product, just a firm believer)

Easiest Way To Make Baby Food!

Hey y’all!

Okay so I’ve already made a post about making baby food before, but I’ve learned a few ways to make it easier. I’ve made Easton (frozen) peas, (fresh bugs bunny size) carrots, (fresh) butternut squash, (fresh) sweet potatoes, (fresh obviously) avocodo, and (frozen) green beans. The first time I made his food, we (me and Carmen) blended everything. I noticed certain foods would be difficult to blend because they frequently got air pockets. Now, I know exactly which way to cook and puree his foods.

Peas & Green beans: I just buy the 2 pound bag of frozen peas and the frozen green beans (rather than canned). The peas make 2.5 trays, which is ALOT! I boil water, drop it in there for maybe 6-10 minutes, strain it, and then put half of the peas or beans in the blender. I add enough milk (formula mixed with water) to thin it out and get it blending. Sometimes I just buy the premade milk when I know I’m making his food. Get that first batch blended, then repeat with the next.

Carrots: I buy the regular size carrots, not the baby carrots because it’s cheaper. I do try to buy all organic food when possible. I peel the carrots and cut it in half. I roll it around in olive oil and roast them in the oven on 400 for maybe 20ish minutes. I love using the oven because I can kinda just forget about it and continue making his other foods. Plus I cook the carrots, squash and sweet potatoes in the oven all at the same time! I do blend the carrots. Once they’re cooked, I chop them up into smaller pieces so it blends easier. And I add milk.

Butternut squash & Sweet potatoes: Well yesterday, my dumb ass started peeling the potatoes for God knows what reason. DON’T do that! Waste of time and energy. I just rub it with olive oil and set it on the baking sheet. I cut the butternut squash in half (from the top to bottom), lay it face down on the sheet, and rub olive oil on the skin. Then, I add just enough water to coat the bottem of the baking sheet and pop it in the oven for maybe 45 minutes. When it’s done, i peel the skin off of both veggies and get all of the seeds out of the squash. Instead of blending these 2, I get a hand mixer! SO much easier! No air pockets or issues at all. Add milk to get it to the consistency you want. Done.

Avocados: Last time I mashed these and then froze it. Bad idea. Easton didn’t like them frozen and then thawed out. It tasted different. So I only mash it up right when I’m about to feed him. I’ll save the other half for later.

Not gonna lie, I tried giving him the store bought stuff from Gerber to Beechnut. Some of the stuff he’s okay with. Others, he makes a scrunched up face like wtf are you feeding me mom? I’ve tasted them and some of the shit smells like Spaghettios when it’s vegetables and tastes GROSS! I have been giving him the meals with meats for now until I make some homemade chicken and stuff.

**Don’t bother buying the baby bullet! I use a regular blender. There is no sense in buying something you’ll end up getting rid of when a home can always use a blender.

Thanks for reading!

How Y’all Can Pick Out The Perfect Engagement Ring!

Hey y’all!

I swear I have looked at hundreds of rings before Colton and I finally picked one. I went to every single store. Tried on tons and took pictures of the ones I liked. Later I would go home and look at the pictures. It was funny to see that I ended up not liking the rings as much as I thought after seeing a picture of it on my hand. There are so many factors to consider when picking out your ring!

FIRST, know the style and look you want. Are you plain Jane and just like solitares? Do you think the bigger, the better and go for the halo? Are you into the 3 stone, past, present, future style?  Try on rings! You may think a ring is pretty on someone on Pinterest, but think just the opposite when it’s on your hand. Once you figured that out, tell your boyfriend!

Second, (this should seriously be first but oh well) establish a budget. What’s the price range? Once he’s told you what your limit is, take him with you and try rings on so he can see what that limit looks like on your hand. He may be happy or disappointed with what that will get him. You can always sway him to bump it up by saying you’re saving him money in the long run by not having to upgrade! Hahaha

Third, what is more important to you? The size of the diamond or the quality of it (the 4 C’s)? Sometimes, you can get both. I wanted my center stone to be 1 carat. So, in order to get that closer to the price I wanted, I had to give up some color and clarity. I have an H-I in color, which means that it might have hints of yellow. I see no yellow what so ever. It’s as clear as water. No matter what lighting or angle, I see no yellow. The diamond is also slightly included. Meaning you might be able to see inclusions to the naked eye. Since I have a princess cut diamond, it makes it harder to see inclusions and I don’t see ANY at all. If I can’t see an inclusion by just looking at it, I’m not worried about looking under a microscope to  find one. I also chose princess cut because 1, I like the name and 2, it tends to look bigger than a round cut diamond.

Lastly, make sure your man likes the ring. If he’s gonna be spending some cash, he better like it. I tried on several rings and once Colton said he didn’t like it, it was a no go. We discussed what cuts he liked. I would go on pinterest and ask if he liked certain styles. He will want to be proud of the ring he puts on your finger.

Thanks for reading!

Starting To Plan Our Wedding!

Yayyy we’re engaged! So now what?

Well originally we planned on having a barn wedding up in Carson on his parents’ new property. I was so excited because I wanted it to look just like the Pinterest weddings. I love the rustic chic look with all the pretty lights everywhere. The venue is free and his mom and her friend were going to do all of our flowers. We were gonna do lots of DIY stuff for it and have pretty little touches. BUTTTTT I realized that even with doing all that to save money, the wedding would definitely average over $10,000. Then I thought about it. We could do so much better shit with that $10 grand. I would rather put that towards a down payment on a house or use it to upgrade our future kitchen with stainless steel appliances and granite.

I used to get SO irritated when my mom would say that expensive weddings are stupid and such a waste of money. I’ve always pictured having a beautiful, Pinterest like wedding. Then, I realized I would be spending over 10 grand on ONE day. ONE DAY then poof it’s done. One day to impress a bunch of people or have them say the chicken was dry. I could find so many more ways to make that 10 grand show for longer than a day.

We are still gonna have a wedding, but for way cheaper. Plus it’ll be a wedding and a honeymoon all in one. There’s no way we would be able to go on a honeymoon if we did the barn wedding. Instead, we are doing a destination wedding in the Bahamas! It’ll be way cheaper and less stressful. The chances of me being a bridezilla have significantly decreased.

The main things I wanted for my wedding were amazing pictures, beautiful venue, and bangin food. Pictures last a lifetime. Having crystal blue waters in our wedding photos would be gorgeous. I would do a trash the dress photo sesh there too! And it’s different than what most unoriginal brides are doing (you know who you are, bitch). If we did the barn wedding, we were anticipating about 160 guests. That’s alot of people to feed, chairs, linens, and tables to rent, more decor needed, and more stress. I would be wasting a crap ton of money on decor that I would end up selling for 1/4 of the price I paid. When instead, I could buy home decor and furniture that’ll last for awhile.

I was thinking about doing next March for our wedding, but you’re supposed to send out save the dates a year in advance. I don’t want to feel rushed planning the wedding. So we might be pushing it back to that fall or winter. It makes it a little difficult when you have to work around hurricane season there. And it doesn’t help that I have to schedule our wedding day around hunting season either! But Colton might have to miss a week and a half of hunting 🙂 he’ll live!

Preparing For A Newborn On A Budget!

Hey y’all!

I’m sure everyone hears how expensive babies are all the time. If you’re a first time mama or haven’t had a baby in years and need to buy all the stuff again, it can get really expensive to get everything. Walking through Babies R Us and seeing all the cutesy baby stuff and then looking at the price tag might give you a heart attack. I was able to get $1000 worth of practically new baby essentials for around $200ish! I’m gonna go over how to get your baby the stuff he/she needs, with the actual items you want for dirt cheap! No one can even tell that they are second hand items!

Parents whose babies that have grown into toddlers have SO much crap they are ready to give away! It’s taking up space and they’re probably done reproducing. These people are so helpful when it comes to getting free baby stuff. I was able to get a crib that looks brand spankin’ new for FREE! Easton’s Mimi had a friend who didn’t expect to have another child at 40. He just moved up into a big boy toddler bed and was more than happy to give us the crib! If I were to have a girl, I would have painted it white (another great way to get the look you want without blowing money) and if it was a boy, I was gonna leave it as it was (dark brown). Colton’s mom still had her rocking chair from when they first got his sister. I cleaned it up with a upholstery cleaner vacuum thing and made it look white again. Another older mom who was friends with the mom that gave us the crib, gave us a high chair, swing, and exersaucer! So, I took that to my mom’s house so she didn’t have to worry about getting baby stuff. We got a bassinet that was over $100 for free from a family member. Clothes…. Everyone loves giving you baby clothes! So if you know someone who is done having kids and they have outgrown their items, ask if they mind giving it away! People are amazing and are more than happy to help.

Next, Facebook is actually useful for something more than starting drama. I noticed that the big thing going on was virtual yardsales! The annoying thing was having to scroll through random shit to find baby items. It hit me then that I should create my own page! I made my own local virtual baby/children yard sale site. I shared the new site on all of the yard sale pages I was a part of. Now I have over 4000 members and it’s always got stuff for sale! There was a specific swing, rocker, and seat set that I wanted. I posted an ISO (in search of) ad with the picture of the items I wanted. Within 2 weeks, I bought all 3 items for less than the price of the swing brand new! WHAT A DEAL! I would never buy my baby something that looks dingy or gross. I made sure it was all gently used. My goal was to buy the pricier items for an unbeatable price so that people at my baby shower could buy more of the cheaper items. Get what I mean? Why have someone spend $160 on a swing that I paid $50 for? That just makes no sense to me. ESPECIALLY with the chance that your child might not even like the swing! Easton HATED his swing once he was over a month old. That would have been such a waste of money if it had been bought new. I also got a changing table in amazing condition that was originally $90 for $25! It matched the crib perfect. I bought the Genie Elite Diaper Pail for $10 instead of $35 or $40. I got his carseat with 2 bases for maybe $75 and an extra base costs $90 by itself. I chose a very specific carseat though because I knew I wanted the Chicco Urban stroller brand new. So make sure your carseat is compatible with the stroller you want.

Getting ready for your baby shower. I’m probably gonna write a seperate post for this about what you should register for, but I’ll go over it a little bit. It’s a MUST to do a diaper raffle!!! Easton is almost 6 months old and I still have diapers from his baby shower I’m using. I only bought 2 packs while I was pregnant and we just bought 1 small pack of size 2’s before I switch him into 3’s next week. When you mail out invitiations, add a seperate note that says there is a diaper raffle. They can enter their name for EACH pack they bring (any size) and winner gets a prize. Everyone loves winning something! So almost everyone will bring you a pack of diapers and any size pack is helpful!

Baby consignment shops. I have checked a few out shops. They are great for stocking up on clothes! They also have other items but I got most of mine on the yard sale site. Easton got SOOO many clothes from the baby shower and being the first grandchild on both sides, and having the best godmama and godgrandma ever. So I didn’t really go clothes shopping for him. It’s best to wait til after your shower to see which sizes you got the most clothes in and if you need to exchange it for a bigger size. Easton is almost 6 months old and has been in 6 months sizes for about a month or so and is slowly growing into a 9 month size already!

Go to real yard sales! You can really negotiate prices there! People just want it gone and you’re there to haul it off. So y’all can meet somewhere in the middle and get a great price!

Lastly, think about the items your baby really doesn’t need. Easton didn’t really need the bassinet or the rocker. He would have been fine going straight into his crib (which I highly recommend doing from day 1!). Some people don’t get a changing table. They jsut get the pad and set it on the dresser. That works too. Not everyone feels the need to have a rocking chair, I do. It’s a must for me. Some people are happy using a regular trash can instead of a diaper pale. The key thing about buying items on the virtual yardsale, is to buy it at a price that someone else will buy it for when you go to sell it! Keep that in mind if you don’t end up liking a certain item!

Don’t feel guilty or ashamed to ask people if they would mind giving something away or giving them a little bit of cash for it! Make a baby/children yardsale site on Facebook if your area doesn’t have one. Check out baby consignment shops and yard sales. And figure out what you truly need and what y’all can live without!

My Experience With The Mirena

Hey y’all!

So this past Wednesday, I FINALLY got the Mirena IUD! I have been trying to get that shit since January but lovely Tricare made that pretty complicated. I’m gonna go over why I chose the Mirena, how to prepare for it, how the procedure went, and how I feel about it now.

I picked the Mirena because I suck at remembering to take the pills. If I can’t remember them before having a baby, I’m not gonna remember to take it after adding a baby to the mix. They just put the Mirena in you and you’re good to go for 5 years or until you want another child. I don’t want another baby until Easton is 2 or 3 years old (Colton’s gonna shit himself if he reads this bahahahaha). Everyone who does have the Mirena LOVES it! The only bad thing I’ve heard about the Mirena is that the procedure to get it is super painful.

So, I have Tricare Prime as my primary insurance. I wanted to get the IUD at a civilian (nonmlitary) OB/GYN, but Tricare denied my referral from my PCP and said I HAD to get it done on base. For a regular OB/GYN, they said I needed to call them the first day I started my period and they would schedule the insertion during my cycle. Super annoying. When I was finally able to get an appointment on base, they said I didn’t have to wait til my period. BUT the lady who scheduled my appointment failed to mention that I had to be abstinant for 2 weeks! So I wasted my time getting a blood test the day before my appointment and going to the appointment.

Everyone I know who has gotten an IUD said it hurt like a BITCH and felt like they were dying for the next few days.  They all told me, well you’ve had a baby so it shouldn’t hurt to bad!! Girrrrrrrl, my vajay felt ZERO pain during birth thanks to that good ole epidural and nubain! So I had been mentally preparing myself the entire day of my appointment. I had a test a few hours later so the nurses told me to take Motrin before I get there. I took 600 mg lol. So, to prepare, be abstinant for 2 weeks (the struggle), take Motrin before your appointment, and bring a pantyliner or tampon with you in case you spot or bleed. I only spotted. I had no heavy bleeding. Also, pee before the insertion!

So at the appointment, they pretty much open you up with a speculum and swab you with iodine (I think. Idk something that’s red). Then I got a TINY cramp feeling when she put this long skinny tube up there. Then she inserted the Mirena with another long skinny tube. I felt a little itty bitty cramp. The doctor was like why are you tense? I was like I’m just preparing myself for the pain everyone talks about. She said it’s not that bad! I thought to myself, mhmmm… cause you aren’t the one getting it. Then she was like that’s it! I was like huh!? That’s it? What the hell is everyone talking about then!? I have a low pain tolerance for the most part. I was expecting the insertion to feel like a labor pain type of cramp. I never get cramps when I get my period, but the cramps I felt during the procedure were literally NOTHING!

After the appointment, I went about my day and felt zero pain. It’s been 4 days since my appointment and I feel great! I haven’t needed any motrin. I have felt no pain or discomfort. It’s just there and I don’t even notice! Maybe the other girls’ doctors did something wrong or just suck at that procedure. I have no clue. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being most painful, the procedure was a 1.5. The doctor checking which way my uterus leans was more uncomfortable than the insertion itself. Shit, getting an ultrasound at 38 weeks was more painful that getting this IUD!

So far, I love it and think I made the right choice. Plus after 5-6 months, my periods should be very light so no complaints there! It doesn’t contain estrogen, so I shouldn’t be any more bitchy than usual lol. I can take it out as soon as I wanna try for another baby. I don’t have to worry about keeping my birth control pills on me all the time or having to remember I turned off the alarm for it. So if you know you don’t want a baby for awhile, you should consider the Mirena!

Making Homemade Baby Food

So at Easton’s 4 month check up, his doctor said I can start feeding him baby food! I was super excited because that means he’ll eat less frequently through out the day. I knew I was gonna make his baby food before he was even born. First off, it’s kinda disgusting how long the shelf life of the canned baby food is. I don’t even know if the canned food tastes anything like the real thing. Plus I’m sure there are a bunch of random ingredients in the product. Personally, I would rather just make the food myself so I know what I’m feeding my son. Plus, it tastes exactly like what it is!

I know some people say they don’t have time to make their baby food, but I’m sure you do… If you have time to scroll through pinterest,watch your favorite TV show, or just sit and bullshit, you got time. If your baby takes an hour long nap, you got time!  You can even boil/steam the food while you’re preparing dinner! Or ask the dad to make it or help with the baby. Bitch if you want. I don’t care. #sorrynotsorry

Another reason why I’m all about homemade baby food is that it’s WAY cheaper! $20 worth of veggies has lasted much longer than $20 worth of premade baby food!

What Carmen (his Mimi) and I made:

• Peas-Boiled and blended
• Avocado-Mashed by hand
• Sweet Potatoes-Baked in the oven. Blended
• Butternut Squash-We roasted in the oven. It was easier to mash.
• Carrots-We steamed and blended
• Spinach- Boiled and blended. He’s not really ready for that consistancy yet so we have it waiting in the freezer.

So we cooked the veggies. Let them cool down. Blended or mashed them. We added formula to thin out the super thick veggies to get it to the consistancy we wanted. We portioned it in ice cube trays and froze them over night. The next day, I labeled ziplock bags with the date and veggie name.

How’s he been on food? He has done so good! He’s such a happy eater and loves ALL the veggies! I’m so proud of him! When he was just on formula, he would only “go” every 2 to 3 days. Now, he goes every day! His tummy hasn’t been upset at all and he gets so excited when he sees food!

Easton has 2 cubes of veggies at each sitting, lunch and dinner. He’s pretty much on an eating schedule now. At 9 AM, he has cereal and milk. Around 12 or 1, he eats his veggie and milk lunch. At 6 or 7, he eats dinner with us at the table. He literally feels left out not eating with everyone else haha.

I feel great about making baby food and strongly encourage everyone to make it! You know what you’re feeding your child. It tastes like the real thing because it is! There won’t be any surprises when you transition them from canned to fresh. It’s cheaper, healthier, and saves you money. Thanks for reading! And sorry to the handful of mothers I’m sure I offended! lol

What You Really Need In Your Hospital Bag!

Hey y’all!

For new mamas, we all stress over what we need to pack for the hospital! Should we overpack? Underpack and send Daddy to get the extra stuff? When should I be packed up by? I’m a huge procrastinator and wait til the last minute to do everything. I went on Pinterest to find out what I needed and used that as a guideline. I then made my own list of what I thought was necessary. Colton (baby daddy/boyfriend/futurehubs) had a cousin who was prego with her second baby, so I sent her my list to see if I missed anything! When in doubt, ask an experienced mama. Down below was my checklist. When I went to the hospital, it looked like I was moving in! I figured it’s better to have more than not enough.

Pack your stuff by 35 weeks! You never know if you’re gonna go into labor early. I had Easton at 38 weeks and my cousin’s wife has had both of her kids at 36 weeks!

I’m just gonna list the things that I didn’t really need that I brought first!

• Boppy…In my opinion, it’s a waste of money. I tried using it but it wasn’t very comfortable. Plus, there’s a bunch of breastfeeding positions that don’t involve the boppy. Some people say the boppy is a lifesaver so it’s really a personal preference. You can always just wait to try it at home.
• A&D ointment. Easton didn’t have a diaper rash so it was useless.
• Rice sock (Homemade heat sack. gotta love Pinterest!). I packed this in case my back hurt. There wasn’t a microwave to use and I forgot I even packed it

As far as everything else, I used it! I packed too many clothes for myself but I wasn’t sure what would fit. Luckily I went right back to my old body once I popped Easton out. The first thing my best friend, Kels, said was, “Omg your hip bone is showing.. Whose hips show after having a baby?!”

Alright, now what I wished I packed!

I knew Easton wasn’t gonna be a big baby by no means! I had an ultrasound the day I went into labor and the ultrasound tech guestimated that he was either 6.8 or 6 pounds 10 ounces. Easton was 6.9 so she was spot on pretty much! I packed all sizes of the newborn size! What I mean is I picked the smallest newborn outfit, a medium sized one and the larger size. Of course, Easton was too small to fit any of the newborn size. Luckily, Kelsey’s mom ran to the store and got him a few preemie outfits 🙂 Such a lifesaver!! So ladies, if your baby is on the smaller side, pack a preemie outfit too. If your baby is on the heavier side, pack a 3 months size. I actually ran into one of the moms I met at the hospital tour a month after Easton was born. Her baby didn’t fit ANY of his newborn outfits and went straight into 3 months!

What you NEED in your life for those 3 days!

Mamas, pack all the yoga pants you got! Your vajay is gonna be killing you whether you got that ice pack and pain meds or not! And don’t forget the granny panties! You’re not gonna want floss all up there after pushing a baby out. Duh.

As far as the Daddy, pack that man some entertainment. Poor Colton… He was bored out of his mind! He had to ask Kels to bring us DVD’s. I brought our laptop and there was a TV in the room, but Colton is an outdoorsy person anyways. He hates being inside unless he’s sleeping or eating.

Pack y’all some munchies and drinks!! When you’re bored, you snack… And NO I don’t mean we were bored with our new baby boy. We were bored being in a room the size of a closet! BTW, the hospital food is DISGUSTING. I was always hungry after my meals. So if you have family or friends close by who are coming to visit you, ask them to bring you food!

Make sure y’all pack cash for the vending machines and also have your checkbook to pay for the birth certificate!

DON’T FORGET YOUR MAKEUP AND HAIR STUFF! You do not want to look a hot ass mess when everyone comes to visit and take pictures. You don’t want your kid to wonder if y’all were homeless when he was born hahaha.

Also, you don’t need to pack diapers and wipes! They provide that for you.

Well that’s all I can really think of! Definitely overpack. Don’t forget anyone’s medicine. Lawd, don’t forget the chargers either ! Thanks for reading 🙂