Ana is growing up...

Hello Dear Readers:

  I have so much to tell you now that Ana is almost 16 months old! I cannot believe how quickly that she is growing up, and how much she has learned in the past couple of months. She is a walking , talking giggling machine, so funny and charming. She loves to dance, sing, climb and read books to herself. She sings most of the alphabet, rocks her baby and sings lullabies and loves to play with her "crying dolls". I have been taking little videos and lots of photos and my next couple of posts (besides the reviews and giveaways are going to be photo extavaganzas.)

 It is going to be such a great Thanksgiving week. Thanks for reading and thanks for your patience as I settle in for the end of Fall and beginning of a fun filled winter :)

A fun day in NYC with Goodskin Labs!

  Hello Dear Readers:
  As some of you know, for the past year I have been a Brand Ambassador and part of the Goodskin Labs Circle for Goodskin Labs. What does that mean?  That means I make videos, test new products and spread the news about Goodskin Labs!!

   I have been using their products for a couple of years now, and  this past year I have been lucky enough to try all of their new products including Z-Pore, which I am in love with.  Also I have been using a  top secret product that will be appearing in stores this coming January!

  Yesterday, I spent the day with the lovely ladies behind Goodskin Labs including fellow Circle member Lisa Silvera, and the Alison P.R/Beauty Bank team.  We had a station complete with a sizzle reel where we told the visiting bloggers and magazine editors (Vogue, Allure, O etc) all about our experience with Goodskin and especially their newest products!

  It was super fun, and although Ana was not far from my mind at all times, it gave me a chance to get away from the country, back into the city spirit and energy.  Also, they had some great treats (did you check out the colorful macarons??)  By the time the last group was leaving I was exhausted and headed home to my sweet sleeping baby!

    I will definitely let you know all about the new product when I can..and will link any stories about Goodskin here.  I was invited to represent them for a second year, and there will be a lot of activity on Facebook with video testimonials and fun! Hopefully, I can host a giveaway or two too!

 Happy Autumn....and now is the time to start taking care of your skin, if you have been remiss~~!! No time like the present.

Happy Autumn Ana pumpkin photos!

                                                       Ana and Mama October 2010



Today really feels like autumn. Although it is humid, it is damp and the smell of wet leaves and pumpkins permeates the air around me. Ana and I spent a couple of hours this afternoon at a lovely florist/farm-stand/ pumpkin patch and I felt like the Fall has settled in.  I love this season for the beauty of the changing leaves. Warm apple cider and hot off the presses cider donuts. Hayrides and pumpkin patches. Apple picking and fuzzy warm sweaters. Warm, comfy boots  and carving the pumpkins. I cannot wait to do all of this with Ana and introduce her to the best season in the Hudson Valley. Be prepared for a barrage of photos!

Daddy and Ana at the Vanderbilt Estate, Hyde Park NY  2010

Please vote for my little Lion, Ana!!

 Hello dear Readers,
 I have entered Ana in a contest, and we need your help! Please please?? Pretty Please?

Ana Roars   click the link to VOTE!!!!!

  I do not usually enter contests online. I know that there is rampant cheating now, and with every contest based on votes, there is a snowball's chance in you-know-where that  I will win. BUT!! I have entered Ana in a Fisher-Price contest that involves animal sounds, and she makes the cutest sounds, so I took a chance. Although the contest winner will be chosen by a panel of judges, they are taking the popular vote into consideration...so please throw Ana a vote every now and then, to keep her in the running. Thanks so much in advance.   

 Mama and her little Lion, Anastasia.

Great wins vs Bad wins

Hello Dear readers:

  I didn't want to have to post this post and it may piss some people off. Too bad, this is my blog and this is how I feel. I spend a lot of my free time entering giveaways via facebook and blogs. I love this hobby, it is fun, relaxing and on the off chance of a win, can be exciting.  The downside?? Chasing down wins.  I hate it. I am not a beggar. I do not like annoying people over and over.  Why is it so hard to follow through with an item that one has offered to win. And, why does this happen over and over??

   I wait patiently for the win to arrive and after a few weeks I follow through and remind the sponsor/crafter/maker/offerer with an email or private message that the item has still not arrived. I have gotten the run around, told it is lost in the mail (over and over), and heard every excuse in the book.  I know that these are items that are offered for free, and that I should consider myself lucky that I win in the first place, but really, it is not nice. Please do not sponsor or offer up an item to win if you have no intention of mailing it or following through.

 I know I am not the only one out there that feels this way, and it irks me to no end. If I sponsor a giveaway, I follow through and that is the final story.   I have the right mind to make a list here and then try to get a response from the sponsor's , to defend their actions. What do you think???

Grrr...

Cleaning out the Baby Stuff

Hello Dear Readers:
  I am cleaning out Ana's baby stuff , and it is not easy. I want to keep everything, every last toy and baby item, as they all contain emotional attachments and are a part of Ana and the life we are building together.  But they are taking up too much room, so it is time to say goodbye to her baby swing, bassinet, and other baby toys and items.

    Since we are completely weaned now, I no longer need the pump and all of the bottles that attach to the pump, milk containers etc. I have so much stuff.  I am thinking about listing it all at the Be Green Sale that is in 2 weeks in Fishkill.

  But: I better do it soon, probably tonight! It will be bittersweet packing it all  up and trying to put a price on my sweet  baby's memories. But there are so  much more to make = and she has so many more things to discover. Every week I buy her little things to wear and play with and our journey is just beginning.

  Next week we start music class, and I am so excited to watch her sing, dance and learn about beats.  I think she is going to love the class so much!! Packing up will be bittersweet, but moving on is just sweet!

Home safe and sound!!!

 Hello dear readers:
 We are home safe and sound and had a fun weekend at the Grandparent's house despite the storm. We stayed over Sat night, and had a fun filled weekend of the  Dutchess County Fair,  board games, lots of food, silly Disney movies, and conversation. Both my step-sister and step-brother have adorable little girls, and the three of them together were just too too cute! We got home this afternoon, and though we kept hitting roadblocks (on the Taconic and  Rte 82) we traveled backroads to get home. Even though we have a side yard and backyard full of old trees, nothing came down and I am counting us lucky. Very little wind damage, and no tree damage. The air is so super cool now, we have all of the windows open and I am enjoying catching up on my tivo and feeling cool air through the house.   Hope you and your family fared as well, and have little clean up to do.

  Until tomorrow, stay safe and warm.

Come on Irene!!!

Hello Dear Readers:

 We are bracing down for this crazy Hurricane Irene to make her fury known. Although the weather people, every local (and national ) news channel is trying to make me crazy, I am remaining calm. We put the cars in the garage, closed the pool, put all of the outdoor furniture inside and are hoping for the best. We have plenty of water, food, a generator, candles, flashlights and if we lose internet and cable, we have: those good old-fashioned things that sit on my shelves by the hundreds, oh yeah....books!!  I am hoping that all of the old, dead scary looking trees on our property sit still and do not fall on said pool, house or otherwise. We are heading to my mom's to have a sleepover with our family and all of the babies will be together, so that will be fun! If we lose cable there, we are bringing board games to keep us all busy.  My mom also has plenty of food, and we will be fine! I wish all of my fellow NYers and East Coasters the best and hope you all have somewhere safe to hunker down. This Irene is going to be a B-I-T-C-H!

Stay Safe.

Reflections on One Year of Being a Mom

 Hello and welcome to my new blog. Since life has changed so drastically over the past year, I only found it fitting that my blog should change from its slightly vapid stance on fashion and working out, to a fun-filled adventure on being a first time mom to a clever, and beautiful one-year old girl! Over the past year, I have had fun, been challenged, and definitely been exhausted. But every day I find myself in awe of my sweet Anastasia.

I sat down on her first birthday and brainstormed all of the things that I can reflect upon that first year:

• A little baby girl will giggle about anything and everything.
• Ana loves to make animal noises ranging from a tiger/lion, to a dog and cat not forgetting the cows and ducks.
• Ana has had 2 perfect teeth for the longest time in the front of her mouth, this past week, she has gotten 2 more teeth in front and has at least 2 coming in on the side. And in case you didn't know, Teething sucks!
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• She loves to pull herself up onto my computer table, the bookshelves, the baby gates, the toy shelves, and just about anything that has enough space for her little hands. She loves to walk in her walker and behind her walking car and I expect she will be walking by herself in the next month or so!! And then, I am in real trouble.
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• Also, She has just enough hair for one long ponytail on the top of her head, which looks adorable. (Photos coming soon). Also, since I cut bangs, she can wear clippies and not look too raggedy Ana.
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• Ana has such determination, she will reach for things, climb for things and keep at it until the desired object is hers. Is this stubborn determination like her mommy?
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• and most of all I love her sweet voice when she sings lullabies in her crib with mommy, the way she nuzzles my neck when she is tired, how she says "I Love You" back , kisses mirrors and her baby-dolls, babies in books and says mmmmm when she kisses mama and daddy. She is such a sweet baby and I hope she will always kiss me good night.
• There are so many more stories and cute things she does, But I want to leave some for photos and separate blogs.

Happy First Birthday my sweet love, my sweet Anastasia. I hope this 2nd year of life will bring you all of the joy and discovery that the firt one did.

Stay tuned for a quick giveaway and some cute photos...and have a great Wednesday!!

Reflections on 8 months of being a Mom!!

Hello dear readers:
  8 Months?? Is it possible that my little sweet baby is already 8 months old?? I blinked and time flew by. In this short time, I have learned some amazing things about babies. And myself. I never knew if I was cut out to be a mom, much less a good mom... But, I love my little Ana more than anything, and her smile and laugh are what get me through the day. Here are my reflections on the first 8 months. And yes, I have already started to plan her first bday. We are having a fairy garden party, and I am going to host a virtual bday party here too!

Reflections on the first 8 Months!:

• Babies do smell that good. I can sniff her neck for hours.
• Baby Poop does not smell that badly. I have a sensitive nose, and really, there are far worse scents.
• Mama and Dada are Ana's first words. Amazing. (Although, I cannot seem to catch her saying them on video)
• Ana has grown so fast, she has not been able to wear all the ridiculously cute dresses and shoes that she has. (boo-hoo)
• Nursing did get easier. Now, it is just part of my routine.
• I am super talented at one-armed everything.  Ana on the left hip, and ready to go!
• Pureed veggies and fruits look gross, but taste good. The yobaby with green beans and pears, a little weird though.
• I am a big goofball when it comes to making Ana giggle, I will resort to pretty much anything. Rolling on the floor, sticking my tongue out, silly dances, anything.
• Baby toys play a lot of music, and those songs get annoying. Making mixed cds of classical, jazz and Broadway tunes is super easy.
• Pacifiers are a gift from a higher place. 
• Mommy friends are hard to find.  Where are all the new Mommies in my area hiding?? 

We signed up for swim classes, Baby and Me, so hopefully we will meet some nice mommies there :)

Photos soon...Ana is getting so big. And, i cannot wait to tell you all about her cool party,

stay warm and dry (massive rain here at the moment),

XO

New Photos finally: Ana is almost 7 months, and we still have so much to do in the new house!

     Can you believe that Anastasia is almost 7 months old? Where did the time go? I feel like it was yesterday when we moved into the new house and a few short months later she arrived! The time flew by and the house is still not done! Her room is pretty much finished, we have beautiful new furniture in the bedroom and had new carpet installed in the basement and on the stairs too, but many rooms need to be painted, and her playroom is going to be redone from top to bottom. I have a lot of photos to share, but will start with the finished areas.

First of all, how about some new photos of Ana. She is growing up and is a whole 12 lbs at 7 months! A teeny tiny thing for sure, but full of love and fun.

Here are some new shots, and I will have her first posed shots too (we went to JC Penney!) after we get them back!

New owl Hat.

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                     These are from a shoot last week, and need the dots photoshopped out:

                                        Cutie!! But she will not smile for the camera




And, I have some photos of Ana's room. It is so pretty and pink now. Like a princess should have.

Ana's room beforehand:

boring brown beforehand

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                                                      Ana's Room After:

Stay well and stay warm,

Back in the saddle,or how I am planning on losing 15 lbs in 3 months!

  Well, the time has come for my mama tummy to say bye-bye. Anastasia is now 6 months old, and I am sick of this mama tummy hanging around. So bye bye and hello to a new gym and a new diet plan. Now, I am still nursing, so I am not planning on cutting out all of my calories. I am however, cutting down a lot of the carbs and fat that I have slowly let leak back into my diet. I have been indulging in bagels, cereal, pasta etc...and the time has come to get back onto my healthy plan.

So if you want to get rid of 5, 10 or 15 lbs, join my ride (again) and let's get in great shape for spring.
I will post my diet/exercise plans and goals. And may be brave enough to do before and afters soon.
Plus my next post will be a healthy giveaway sponsored by Cheerios!!

Until tomorrow,