Clearing out my camera! (February thus far...)

did you miss me??

i took a day off. sometime over this lovely long weekend i caught the plague of death and needed to take a day to recoupe (SLEEP!).

well, i'm back.

and back in style!

since Kai went down i've been teaching myself how to do some cool tricks with my blog. it's fun! i found a really cool "how-to" blog post about how to personalize your blog...if you are like me and kinda new to the game, check it out, it's WAY helpful.

anyway, my camera is back-logged with pictures that i have been meaning to include in blog-posts, and i feel like i just need to clean them out so tonight, i'm featuring snap-shots of the last couple of weeks. very random, but that sums up my life as of late.

busy and random:

Look how BIG he's getting!!!!! {tear}

another nap on the giraffe.

 we have LOVED this giraffe. it's like a flat stuffed animal that is SO super soft and cuddly. when Kai was a newborn he napped on Mr. Giraffe on the couch. when i transitioned him into his crib, i put the giraffe in there to make it more familiar to him (i know, i know i have lots of "stuff" in his crib...so sue me, i think he's comfortable and i check on him lots!). it worked well because he sleeps in his crib like a CHAMP. these cute little animal pillows are my new go-to baby shower gift (you can find em' on Amazon!)

 having {fun} with Uncle Mikey!

 I HATE keeping clothes on my baby.

 that was one great advantage of Kai being born in the middle of the summer....minimum coverage. i think babies should get to have "naked play time" at least once every day (not including bath time!). just imagine having a huge, uncomfortable diaper strapped inbetween your legs all day. yuck! Kai LOVES getting to kick around with his clothes off (and the heat turned UP!). yes, he pees, ofcourse he pees...but it's not hard to clean up and it's totally worth his smiles and joyful babbles.

 {superman!}

 i love to snuggle his soft warm skin...

 we spent the weekend in Portland for my sis-in-law's baby shower a few weeks ago and we ate a delicious, trendy little place downtown (thanks Mollie for the reccomendation!) called Papa Haydn's. Kai was SUCH a good boy while we enjoyed dinner, drinks and of course, dessert.

 *avocado has become my "go-to" on-the-go snack for Kai. i just pack it whole in his backpack and then cut it in half and feed it to him right out of the skin there in the restaurant. he loves it and i love it because it is quick prep and easy clean-up!

 i'm still {trying} to take better care of my skin

 (still no tanning bed time this year...not to say i haven't been tempted...SO.PALE.). My sister-in-law Sarah instructed me to scrub, then moisturize my face with this Mary Kay combo (TimeWise). my face felt amazing. i could count the sleep i'd logged the previous night on one hand, but after rejuvenating my skin with this stuff, i felt invigorated and better prepared to tackle the day. i even put mascara on! (that doesn't happen very much...)

Sarah also let me in on a little secret i'll share with you as well. she buys this stuff NOT from a Mary Kay consultant, but off of EBAY....and she pays a quarter (or less!) of the price. so skincare CAN be affordable...

 isn't this pretty??!

 i've been spicing up my salads lately with avocado, boiled egg and a new dressing recipe that is soooooo good (and great for you as well!) it's a combo of olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. it's light and flavorful and a definite favorite of a self-proclaimed dressing snob such as myself...

 each day it gets harder and harder to get a good picture of baby boy because he is NEVER still. here he is with auntie Kelley, who we were SO happy to get to spend a little bit of time with this weekend!

Squash face.

Kai's new obnoxious dinner time habit is taking a large bite and kind of letting it squish out of his lips and then WIPE his hands all over his face...smearing whatever it may be EVERYWHERE. good thing that bathtime follows close behind...

and there you have the majority of my back-pics.

 it feels good to know that when i sit down for tomorrow blogging session, i have a clean slate to work from.

we are still praying for Gary's work to pick up, and for me to have some kind of direction about going back....i've had a few interviews and have had a job offer that is pending until i get news about a previous interview. i don't know if i'll be going back full time or part time, but i'm going back. i'm trying not to drag my feet about it, just because it'll be hard to leave my little guy.

i came home after an interview i recently had for a full-time position (for a job i would typically LOVE) and immediately swooped Kai up, held him close and bawled, because i couldn't bear the thought of leaving him for 40 hours a week. i know that Mommies do it all the time, but MAN i'm having a hard time with even the possiblity of it. Maybe once i find a good daycare solution i'll feel better...?

now i'm pretty much just praying for direction and for God to open doors and lead me to where HE wants me....because that is all that matters.

but until then, i'm soaking up every single {messy} moment.

“My whole life, I've wanted to feel comfortable in my skin. It's the most liberating thing in the world.” -Drew Barrymore

As I stated in my very first post--one of my resolutions this year is to take {better} care of my skin.

One of my many motivations for keeping up this blog is to also keep myself accountable for those few lofty goals I set for myself upon creating this thing.

I have a gazillion "goals."And taking better care of my skin is one of them.

I don't have bad skin. But I COULD have better skin, and have never really put any effort into "skincare," and well, that needs to change.

While I was picking up around the house today, I had the Rachael Ray show on and was listening to it as I was walking in and out of the room. I caught something about "winter skincare" and stopped to catch the remainder of the segment. Good stuff. You can watch it here, but here's a breakdown for ya:

1. Shower smart. Take a SHORT shower (5-10 minutes), and not a HOT shower, but a WARM shower as the hot water is really drying on the skin. I didn't like this one. I love a nice long HOT shower (sigh) but am willing turn the water down and hurry it up for the sake of better skin.

2. Wash strategically. Don't shower every day! (Easy for me--i'm not dirty or anything, but I certainly go a day in-between showers). Also, don't use overly fragrant bar soaps--instead opt for a body wash, which will  not leave your skin zapped of it's essential oils. I needed to hear that last part--I am a diehard Dove Body Bar user and some of the scents pack a pretty overwhelming punch, not to mention leave me feelin' pretty dry post-shower. Looks like I need to find a good body wash.

3. Don't skip the moisturizer. I loved this one. You basically have THREE minutes to get lotion on your skin after your shower for it to effectively seal water in. Start the clock!!! I use lotion after each bath and shower, but I'm not sure if I get lathered up in those first three minutes. Dr. Chapas also advises that you look for not neccesarily an expensive lotion, but one with lanolin, mineral oil, lactic acids and shea butter because those are the most effective moisturizers.

4. Don't let your environment get too dry! Use a humidifier! If you don't have a humidiier, you can actually put a jar of water near your heater or put a wet towel around the door knob to create some additional moisture in the air.

Also, my skin-care savvy sister-in-law Sarah advised me to start putting a teaspoon of baking soda into my facewash 2-3 times a week. And like a good little grasshopper, I've followed my skincare mentor and MAN, my skin feels extra soft and sparkely clean!! Baking soda! Who knew?! Check out all of the other uses for this common kitchen staple...(hopefully my next skincare blog will detail my first {spa} facial experience!!!)

Sarah also gave me Cindy Crawford's Meaningful Beauty mask that I have yet to use but will soon tonight! I typically wouldn't spend money on something like mask, so when that precious tube runs out, I'm going to start using diaper cream.

YES, I said diaper cream. I saw it on The Doctors and then googled it (did I not trust the DOCTORS?!) and found this blog entry, which is pretty dang convincing (a good blog to follow, btw)!

So aside from revising my shower and post-shower routine, sprinkling baking soda in my handful of facewash a few times a week, starting a bi-weekly mask ritual (Cindy Crawford's AND diaper cream) I have also sworn off the tanning bed. This was an easy sacrifice for me (a self-proclaimed tanner since 16) as I did not tan during my pregnancy. I mean, I got some sun this summer, but not from artificial bulbs. No more tanning bed for me. If I need additional color I'm spray tannin' it up. It doesn't last very long, but I get a nice island glow for 3-5 days. Instant gratification at it's best.

Alas, I know that all of the diaper cream and baking soda in the world will not compensate for the effects of a healthy diet (I DEFINITELY need to drink more water!!), daily exercise and a good night's sleep will have on my skin, so I will for sure not overlook the obvious (pray for me re: the sleeping bit...I'm gonna stock up on POTATOES!).

If YOU have any additional skincare tips, please share! I'd love to hear em'...