Taking the Time

Today, while Eva was napping, Lola hung out with me in my bedroom while I slowly got dressed - a rare luxury. I had a full afternoon, without the girls, which made me nervous and grumpy, but I had to be dressed for a meeting, followed by picking up clothes for a shoot for my newspaper column and a magazine story, and then the actual shoot, and then returning all the clothes from the shoot. I chose a floral, strapless ruffly cotton dress from J. Crew, a gumball-sized pearl necklace from Banana Republic, and metallic pink straw round toe platforms with a gold heel from Zinc. I did my hair and my makeup - even some eyeshadow! It was a small thing to spend time getting dressed: picking the right accessories, the right shade of lipstick (Laura Mercier Baby Lips), even the right ring for my right hand (a pearl and coral style that my husband bought me in Hawaii), but it made all the difference in my mood, and my day. It's made me renew my commitment to take care of myself.

Top Ten Reasons to Love Target Right Now

I admit it. I'm a bit of a snob. Especially when it comes to clothes and shoes for my daughters and myself. But lately, Target has been winning me over. It's always been my go-to place for cleaners, toilet paper, etc... but lately, I've really broadened my horizons. With top designers creating unique lines for the store, and prices so tempting they're irresistable, who can blame me? Here are my current favorite finds:

1. Tracy Feith for Target: Tracy Feith's boutique in NYC used to be like a second home to me. His stuff is so girly and chic. And his collection for Target has the same California-girl vibe. Love it! (Be warned, though. The pieces run a little small).

2. Cabana Life for Target: Another favorite line, Cabana Life makes sun protective clothing, mostly for kids. I bought much of their kids collection online. Love the adorable jersey coverup dress with smocked detailing and matching bathing suits. Too cute!

3. Toddler Shoes: I've bought two pairs this summer for Lola, and I've been thrilled. Sure, she has summer shoes from Oilily and Moki and other European labels, but the OshKosh Julissa flowered sandal has some of the same high-end details, and it's only $15. Also love the strappy, patent Danelea sandal from Target's own line, Circo. I also just bought Lola the OshKosh Dinah Athleisure (never heard that before) sneaker in Pink and in Gold. They have glittery floral insets and metallic toes. Who can resist?

4. Toddler Clothes: When I need a quick play outfit or two - one that I don't need to worry about her messing up - Target is a great place to go. Over the weekend I bought some cute shorts outfits for Lola, but I also managed to find playdresses for both girls, including a colorblocked hot pink and orange dress trimmed in brown for Eva, and matching yellow print dresses with pink rosettes for both girls that looked far more expensive than it was. I also bought some adorable striped cotton rompers. There's even a "Samantha says" dress that's a knockoff of a Lola et Moi dress that my Lola wore for her 2nd birthday.

5. Outdoor Dinnerware and Accessories: I've always loved Target's outdoor accessories: colorful metal drink buckets and enameled trays, pretty patterned outdoor dinnerware and glasses. And they're priced for people who, like me, get bored easily and like to change things up every season or two. This summer I'm loving the Floral Melamine Appetizer Plate Set and the Peony Acrylic Drink Glasses.

6. Kid's Melamine Plates and Bowls: Too cute! Right now, my girls are using adorable pink divided plates, green circus divided trays, and plates and bowls from the Love Birds collection, all from Target. I just spotted the Aurora Songbird collection, which I now must have. They're hip, durable, and affordable. Who could ask for more?

7. Simply Shabby Chic Bath Accessories: I am a real snob when it comes to towels, and I just bought some pristine white towels from Matouk for my bathroom and my husband's. I was on a real white towel kick - I think they're undeniably the chic-est, but seeing the beautiful, thick, fluffy pink and white damask towels and crochet trim oval bath rug made me want to redecorate my girls' bathroom.

8. Kids Room Accessories: I love the bins with chalkboard fronts and dollhouse bookcase that help control clutter in the playroom, and now I'm eyeing the adorable pink and white polka dotted storage ottoman.

9. Dwell Studio for Target: These accessories make me want to redo my Spanish Revival home in a retro modern style. Bad idea. For now, I'll settle for some of the fab pillows (like the floral block decorative pillow) and the nursery accessories (the birds collection is fab, as is the mod baby furniture).

10. Specialty Toys: With trendy lines like Melissa & Doug, Schleich, and Playmobil, Target is my first stop for kids birthday gifts!

Current Obsessions

My sister and I are always on a shopping kick. The only thing that changes is what we are shopping for. These are my current obsessions:

Fable Lore: Chic, comfy, innovative clothing for kids with details that change color in the sun. Lola has a dress and leggings with lace trim that goes from white to pink when exposed to UV light. So cool, and the jersey fabrics are amazing.

Undrest Lingerie: Cotton, comfy and still sexy-cute, I have stocked up on their chemises, sleepshirts, and even a long hooded nightgown that is chic and not at all frumpy. Girly details turn casual cotton into something much more fun.

Kids shoes from Petit, Pomme d'Api and Moki: I'm a little obsessed with European shoes for my girls. Goegeous details, colorful designs and amazing quality.

The Best Bra Fitting Ever

On Saturday, while Kevin and I spent a romantic weekend away from the girls in Chicago (they stayed with Grandma and Grandpa in the suburbs), I went to a store called Intimacy on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Intimacy is a lingerie store specializing in bra fittings. They actually label themselves Bra Fit Stylists. The Chicago location is one of eight nationwide, and if there's one near you - get there as quickly as possible. I highly recommend it. But be prepared. They call their bra fitting technique holistic. No tape measures, no formulas. They use their hands. But in two seconds, Veronica Lopez sized me up and concluded that I was a 30-32 C. At first, I was skeptical. I used to be a 32 C, but I didn't believe I could still fill a C cup. After nursing two girls, my breasts are, to put it mildly, deflated. And I consider it a tragedy. I am really bummed about it. And then Veronica returned to the dressing room with more than a dozen gorgeous bras, from beautiful basics to sexy lace bras, from brands like Chantelle, Simone Perele, Marie Jo, and Aventure by Marie Jo. Here's what I learned:

1. When you put on your bra, you should bend over at the waist so that your breasts fall into the cups and then fasten the clasp. Reach into the bra to lift your breasts into position, but do not use the lace to handle the bra. Use the wire part.
2. Do not use harsh synthetic detergents on your bras. Use a baby detergent, an organic detergent, or a specialty lingerie detergent. Bras can be washed in the washing machine as long as they are in a mesh lingerie bag. Fasten clasps before washing. Always air dry - don't throw your bras in the washing machine.
3. Rotate your bras. Allow at least one day of rest before rewearing to get maximum life out of your bra.
4. When storing bras, lay them flat, with the cups up. Do not put one cup into the other. This can cause little bumps or ridges in the cup. If you do get some bumps in the cup of your molded bra, try steaming it to remove them.
5. Bras can be altered, just like any other piece of clothing. For example, on me, the Chantelle Bra in 32C had a band that was just a little too long and needed to be taken in to fit properly.

I walked out with 4 bras:
The Le Mystere Francesca all over lace bra in Nude $75 link

Marie Jo L'Aventure "Neal" bra in Peach Melba (with tiny white polka dots), $109

link

Chantelle Africa strapless bra in Nude link

Marie Jo L'Aventure Tom multiway bra in Cafe Latte (Nude) - can be worn as a halter bra as well, $100 link

AHA's vs Anti-Aging Products

This blog is for Anonymous, who asked me the difference between an AHA and an Anti-Aging Product. AHA's are essentially exfoliators. Depending on their strength (percentage of AHA in the product) they can exfoliate your skin either gradually or quickly. AHAs help the texture, tone and clarity of your skin by helping it to function more normally. When you shed dead skin cells, you reveal fresher, younger skin beneath, and that skin functions more optimally, like it did when you were younger.

Anti-Aging Products is a very broad, loosely defined category that can include, but is not limited to, AHAs, Vitamin C and other antioxidant creams, serums, retinol and retinoid products, moisturizers, etc. Basically, any product designed to make you look more youthful. This is not a category I created - it's a device of the beauty industry, and I chose the Anti-Aging Products that I reviewed based on the claims that the products made. In other words, they claimed to be anti-agers, so I reviewed them based on those claims.

Any product that can make your skin look fresher, better and more youthful qualifies as an antiager.

One Week of Workouts

So far, I've stuck with my new plan for a whole week, which is almost a record for me. That means I've gone down to the workout room in our house (which is in a sort of underground room that used to be the boiler room) and used the elliptical machine three times, for 20 mintutes each time. Not exactly training for a marathon, but at least I stuck with it. I wanted to start small so that I didn't give up. Now Mondays are going to present a challenge because Lola's Little Gym class is first thing in the morning - the time I used to work out. It's going to be a pain to have to come back and then get all messed up again working out... But I'll make it work. After a couple of weeks of this, I'm adding something to my repertoire, until I have a real workout routine! Wish me luck...

Novena Maternity Skin Care Reviews:

My beautiful, 20-something friend Nicole, a beauty fanatic like myself, is nearing the end of her third pregnancy. Her normally-flawless skin has suffered a few pregnancy-related problems, including some breakouts.

Novena was developed by a Miami-based esthetician, Jeanette Acosta, when she realized that her clients had very limited skincare options during her pregnancy. Novena is a completely organic skincare line developed with the safety of both mother and baby in mind, and it offers one of the only maternity blemish treatments I have been able to find.

Here's Nicole's take on the line:

With the chemical infused world we live in, I was so excited to start using these products. I have used chemical free products on the kids since they were born but never on myself and never while being pregnant. I am in LOVE with the fact that there is absolutely nothing you cannot pronounce on the ingredient list. I was familiar with the entire label. So here is what I thought.......



Organic Fruit Face Wash - "Deep cleans without leaving skin dry nor oily. Perfect balancing cleanser for all skin types Dissolves makeup effortlessly."
The consistency of this wash is creamy. It has a light citrus smell and the suggested 4 pumps really does cover your face and neck well. After rinsing, your face feels perfectly hydrated and clean. Once out of the shower your face still feels really nice and nourished. I did however have to use a little extra sometimes on my eyes depending on the amount of eye makeup I was wearing.


Organic Cucumber Cranberry Eye Gel - "For the treatment of tired puffy eyes. Helps to minimize fine lines and dark circles."

The smell of this product is so yummy I wanted to cover my entire body in it. I am a huge fan of cucumber water, drinking it almost daily. So the authentic smell of cucumber really hit home for me. The smell is so real because it is exactly that - real. Cucumber Sativus Distillate (cucumber) is #2 on the ingredient label. My eye's were not once puffy while using the gel. I also noticed that the darkness under my eyes was lighter. As for the little bit of creepiness under the sinus of my eyes I didn't notice any change.

Organic Bearberry Skin Brightening Moisturizer - "Helps reduce the acceleration of melanin (pigment cells) production. The acceleration is due to hormonal changes. Those changes cause the brown patches to appear."

The moisturizer has a very nice pleasing fragrance. Its texture is creamy and light. The moisturizer disappears nicely into your skin. The first time I used the moisturizer my face felt tight and not moistened at all. However after a few minutes I realized that with aloe being the #1 ingredient this feeling was only natural. If you have ever opened a fresh aloe plant and used it on your skin you know what I mean. Once my natural oils kicked in my skin felt perfectly moisturized, balanced and not tight at all. I had to get used to the chemical free feel. It really is completely different and I noticed it most with this product because I wore it all day long and applied my make-up over it . I was afraid that my make-up would not apply well over the moisturizer given the tight feel my skin had. However I was completely wrong. My make-up was smooth, even and looked amazing. And like I said the tight feel doesn't last long.
I always have had freckles which in the last couple of years have become larger and darker. After about two weeks of using this product I noticed the product had lightened my spots and my face was indeed noticeably brighter. Yay!!! This product is an amazing natural and cheaper alternative to a chemical or laser treatment.
My only wish for this product would be for an spf to be incorporated in it. (Beautymommy's Note: A sunscreen has just been added to the line, so look for a review in an upcoming blog.)


Organic Citrus Blemish Lotion - "To help prevent and treat breakouts due to stress and hormonal changes."
I love, love, love this product. I had a small blemish on my chin when I first received the line. I used it that night and by the morning my pimple was almost completely gone. I have used alot of creams and potions in the past with no luck. I have not had one breakout in 4 weeks and for me that is stellar.


I used the product every night before bed after cleansing. It has an amazingly familiar clean smell which reminds me of being at the spa and to end my day with a little spa feel you cant beat that. Its the perfect ending to a busy day. The lotion feels a bit cold and tingly when you apply it. This lotion like the moisturizer gives a really tight feel to your skin and again aloe is the #1 ingredient. However by morning time my skin felt really smooth and balanced. This is by far my favorite product of the entire line and will now not be able to live without it. This is a must have for anyone who frequents breakouts.


Tangerine Cocoa Butter Belly Cream - Greatly Minimizes the possibility of developing stretch marks and aids in healing existing ones.

I was unfortunately not able to use this cream. The smell was to strong for me. Cocoa and tangerine are both intense fragrances and for me it was just too much. :(
(Beautymommy's note: Look for a review from another beautiful mommy-to-be in an upcoming blog).

Overall this line is super exciting for anyone whom is looking for a natural alternative to skin care that really works - especially if you're pregnant or nursing!
I normally have combination skin , so by the end of the day or first thing in the morning I had an oily t-zone. While using this line my skin was more normal than it has ever been. I never had any excess oil on my face. The large pores which I have been complaining about in the last year or so are now non existent. Also as I previously mentioned my skin is much brighter.
So in the last 4 weeks my skin has drastically changed for the better. Pretty impressive. I feel lucky to have been introduced to Novena.

My OWN Flat Belly Plan

For the last few months, since I got my IUD, I have been carrying an additional 5 pounds - very unusual for a woman who has weighed the same since she was 16. And those five pounds seem to have found a permanent home in my belly. I've been so depressed about it that I'd been asking around about plastic surgeons... Until I saw my sister. I knew I couldn't justify going under the knife without at least giving diet and exercise a try. Although I don't need to lose weight, I do need to tone my abs. The combination of two babies, a few extra pounds, and my IBS acting up has made it worse than ever. And since, whenever I go on a self-improvement kick I wind up biting off more than I can possibly handle, I am starting small. This week, my goal is to start with the minimum amount of exercise: 20 minutes on the elliptical machine 3x a week. Every other week, I will add something else to my routine, from an additional day of exercise to dietary changes. And I'll post my results here.

You've already seen my post-baby body in a previous blog, so I will spare you the gory details. Instead, I will post my (gasp!) measurements, and update them as they change!

Weight: 99 pounds
Waist: 31" around the belly button, when I push it way out. It makes me want to cry.

I've already had my first workout this morning, so I'm on my way!