KOOL AID PLAYDOUGH

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     Homemade play dough will keep your child occupied for more than 15 minutes and will give you plenty of time to do some dishes and laundry while they play in their high chair. Our little munchkin is 17 months old and can be hard to keep occupied; she likes to explore objects in her environment and bring me along with her. This can prove to be very difficult when I have household chores to accomplish and that is when I decided that I needed something else to keep her attention so I could get some stuff done around the house. 

     

     This specific play dough is safe if congested by your child and should not cause serious harm to your child's body. Be sure to watch over your child and do not leave them unattended; the playdough has an appealing smell and may be tempting for your child eat. I caught a glimpse of our daughter taking a bite and had to explain to her that it is not something we should be putting in our mouths. After seeing her take a second bite, I took it away from her. I introduced the play dough to her again later in the evening while I was making dinner and she did very well playing with it; she did not try to eat it again!

Ingredients:

     1/2 cup of water

     2 cups of flour

     3 tablespoons of cooking oil (canola or vegetable)

     3/4 cup of salt

     1 Kool-Aid packet of your choice (2 if you desire a stronger color and smell)

Directions:

     Pour the water in to a large mixing bowl. Add the 3 table spoons of cooking oil and the packet of Kool-Aid to the water. Stir until well blended, then add the 3/4 cup of salt. Once items are well mixed, add the 2 cups of flour and knead the dough with your hands. 

     As always, please feel free to comment or email me with any questions. Also, please vote on my poll for what posts you would like to see more of located in the right margin of this post.

PREPPY MEETS CASUAL

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     At 30 weeks I am feeling bigger than ever and I have to keep my feet comfortable to support my back from the ever growing baby in my belly. I must admit this second pregnancy is a lot easier than my first due to the simple fact that I have little to no acne and have been much more active. I made it my goal this time around to gain no more than a total of 35 pounds and so far, I believe I will be able to reach my goal- can I get an amen? Woo! 

     I wore this outfit to run some errands with my one year old in tote and chasing after her is no easy task. Keeping up with my daughter requires a good pair of sneaks and these Nike's  are the next best thing since sliced bread on my feet. I have also been extremely thankful for comfortable clothes that still make me feel good about myself and this dress (similar) is a must have basic in my maternity wardrobe. I paired this cozy chic dress (ha see what I did there?) with a simple striped vest for some depth and perception. I wanted my bump to stand out and we all know that horizontal stripes are known to make a woman's body look larger, so it was a match made in heaven. It was almost as if I had arrows pointing to my belly, saying "look at this baby bump". 

     Next to my comfortable dress is my fabulous bag! Rule number one is to always pair an outfit with a super cute bag. I love my bags and have a small obsession with leather ones. This blue Kate Spade (similar) is one of 6 designer leather bags that I have in my possession. What can I say? I have big feet, so a girl has to find something to buy and I have chosen bags to be my guilty pleasure. I am proud to say that every single one of them have been purchased at half price or less thanks to all of the great deals I find in stores and online. My husband definitely appreciates the sales that I find, so we don't have to pay full price. 

     As always, please feel free to comment or email me with any questions. Also, please vote on my poll for what posts you would like to see more of located in the right margin of this post. 

REVIVE YOUR DULL SKIN: AT HOME FACE PEEL

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     About a year ago, I was looking for something to change my dull scarred skin from being ruined during my first pregnancy and this is what my friend told me to use. My hormones were out of control and I would get random spouts of cystic acne embedded under my skin that made smiling painful. My face felt sore and looked aged; I was miserable and embarrassed to be seen in public. As soon as I started using this pumpkin peel enzyme mask I noticed a remarkable change. It literally took thin layers of skin off over time and removed a lot of my scars. I was so encouraged and excited by my husbands comments on the changes he saw in my skin that I can't help but to share these products with the world!

     

Directions:

*Apply in the evening to allow time for healing. 

     Wash face with Cetaphil daily facial cleanser, dab face with a towel (do not wipe your face with the towel; wiping your face pushes dead skin left on the surface in to your pours and causes more acne), Paint on a thin layer of the ht2 enzyme pumpkin fruit peel- length of time for the pumpkin peel depends on the sensitivity of your skin; the max amount of time you can leave the fruit peel on your skin is 10 minutes, rinse skin with cool water, and dab your face with a clean towel. Once your skin is dry, apply vitamin e oil to your skin and leave on your face until the morning. 

Benefits of pumpkin peel:

     Softens fine lines and wrinkles, binds Moisture to the skin, exfoliates surface cells, softens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improves texture and pliability, adds anti-oxidants, vitamins, and nutrients into the skin, destroys surface bacteria, prepares skin for more aggressive treatments like chemical peels, and helps lighten hyper-pigmentation. 

Benefits of vitamin e oil:

     Lightens brown spots on skin from aging, adds extreme moisture to skin (great for night treatment), heals scar tissue, and prevents wrinkles by aiding in the production of collagen. 

     

    

ADIOS DIAPER BAG

     Stop lugging two or more bags around and make life easier for yourself by utilizing one. That is right ladies, I said one bag. Be the minimalist you want to be and set your arms free from the weight of multiple bags by purchasing a large tote or crossover bag of your choosing. If you have been looking for an excuse to purchase that bag you have been gawking over, now is your chance! 

     Separate your bag in to two parts by adding two zipper pouches to place all of your child's basic necessities and toys in for the day and the rest of the room will be yours to fill with personal goodies such as your wallet, make-up, sunglasses, and etc. One of the zipper pouches can be filled with toys, diapers, and wipes, while the other zipper pouch can be filled with food and his/her drink cup. 

     I ditched the diaper bag not long after having my daughter and became a minimalist after a handful of trips to the store by myself. I was overwhelmed by keeping track of two bags as well as my daughter. I couldn't carry everything without breaking a sweat and now that I have trimmed down, I can carry my daughter and purse with ease. This also gave me a great excuse to buy the designer bag I was swooning over. When I explained to my husband my need to trim down to one bag after my many horrible trips to the store without him, he agreed it would make my life easier and bought me the designer bag the next day. 

     Why buy a bag that you don't love and strain yourself when you can buy your dream bag and get around the town without having to put in some serious effort? My point exactly! There is only one clear and simple answer to resolve our mommy worries and headaches and that is to shave down to one bag. 

What I wore: 

Tank

Shorts (similar) Shorts (similar)

Sandals

Bag

Earrings

Watch

Sunrise seashell necklace by local jewelry designer in Hawaii

AVOCADO GRILLED CHEESE

     This delicious sandwich takes about 5 minutes to make and is a quick and healthy lunch. Both avocado and tomato fight cancer and taste delicious together, so while filling your stomach, you are also kicking cancers butt. Enjoy every bite without feeling guilty! 

Ingredients:

     2 slices of whole wheat bread
     1 avocado
     1 tomato
     1 slice of cheddar cheese
     1 pinch of pepper
     1 pinch of salt

Directions:

     Preheat non-stick pan on medium heat, Place 2 slices of bread on non-stick pan, flip bread once golden brown and add 1 slice of cheddar cheese on to one of the slices of bread. Add tomato, salt and pepper, then slices of avocado. Place the golden side of second piece of bread on top of the avocado. Flip the sandwich until the last side of toast is golden brown and remove from heat. 

     

BOHO CHIC BABY BUMP

     Living in paradise is something I most definitely take for granted, but today felt so good to explore the Honolulu Zoo with my little munchkin. I woke up early and was able to do a quick reverted fishtail braid in to a pony tail before Riley woke up. My fishtail braid took five minutes to do and was the perfect hairstyle for a hot day spent outside chasing after my daughter. I will be posting a tutorial on how to do a reverted fishtail braid in the near future, but until then,  I have to admit that today was my third day without washing my hair! In an attempt to save my ends from drying out and breaking off, I have been leaving my hair unwashed, but not untouched. I have been testing a few different dry shampoos and have yet to decide which one I like the most. 

     Shopping for maternity clothes is a difficult task especially when it comes to finding something I would actually wear, but my outfit was made easy by Liz Maternity found at Target (Oatmeal colored tank top) and my non-maternity stretchy pants by O'neill found at my local surf shop on the North Shore. I paired this outfit with my brown leather crossover Coach purse and my turquoise Kenneth Cole earrings that I recently submitted under my 'Save vs. Splurge' post. 

     If you have any questions about an item that you see and would like more details, feel free to email me! Mahalo. 

     

What I wore:

Pants

Similar purse

Tank
Necklace
Earrings

SAVE VS. SPLURGE

Kenneth Cole 

$15 vs. $55

Kendra Scott

     

      To save or to spend? That is the question I ask myself every time I see something I want to purchase. I feel like I have two sides; side A wants to be thrifty and save, while side B wants to purchase everything in site and only buy expensive name brand items. If you can agree with me on this than we should lean on one another for accountability! Emptying our pockets on one item can be very difficult while raising a family, especially if you want to stay current with fashion and have a new piece in your wardrobe or jewelry box as often as possible. 

     While out shopping at my local T.J.maxx store,  I found myself pondering on this exact question. Should I save the money on these Kenneth Cole turquoise earrings or should I splurge on the Kendra Scott turquoise earrings I have been wanting? I kept asking myself if these $15 Kenneth Cole look alike earrings were going to satisfy my desire to have Kendra Scott's $55 'skye' earrings and I can tell you they most definitely have!

     Why spend the money when you can have something comparable for less than half the price? I urge you to run to your local T.J.maxx to find this steal and stock up on as many turquoise pieces as possible. Turquoise is definitely 'in' and hitting the market everywhere. The thing I love most about turquoise jewelry is the timeless beauty is captures. Women have been wearing turquoise for years and it has yet to go out of style. 

NEW SKIN ROUTINE, NEW YOU

Normal to Oily Skin Routine

Normal to Dry Skin Routine

     Unfortunately, I suffer from acne and for years I was looking for products that would allow my skin to breathe and still maintain a healthy glow. I have tried many natural and unnatural products from Proactive to oatmeal and strawberry masks to keep acne away. 

     

     What many people don't know about acne is that in most cases, it has absolutely nothing to do with the cleanliness of your face or the foods you digest and EVERYTHING to do with your hormones. I cannot tell you how many times I have been offended by friends and acquaintances with their comments on how to have smooth acne free skin. There was simply nothing that I could do to get rid of my acne until I mixed this trio of heaven together. These skin routine trios simply aid in reducing the effects that hormones have on my skin. 

     During the Spring and Summer, I use my 'Normal to Oily Skin Routine' trio. I wash my face with Cetaphil daily facial cleanser and rinse with cool water to seal my pores, dab my face with a towel (wiping your face will cause your skin to become irritated and old skin particles will be pushed into your pores creating more acne), apply Clindamycin product such as 'Duac', let face dry, and apply my final step of aloe as my face lotion. Aloe has healing agents that help restore your skin, reduces any redness you may be experiencing, and prevents wrinkles. The more raw the aloe the better. I haven't taken the time to buy an aloe plant, but I have used it and feel the results work much quicker than that of an industrialized aloe product from the store. However, aloe from the store does the job that I need it to and leaves my skin feeling fresh and free of sores. 

     During the Fall and Winter, I use both my 'Normal to Oily Skin Routine' trio and my 'Normal to Dry Skin Routine' trio. In the mornings I follow the above steps for my 'Normal to Oily Skin Routine' and in the evenings before bed, I use my 'Normal to Dry Skin Routine' trio. For my 'Normal to Dry Skin Routine' trio, I wash my face with Cetaphil daily facial cleanser and rinse with cool water to seal my pores, dab my face with a towel (wiping your face will cause your skin to become irritated and old skin particles will be pushed into your pores creating more acne), apply Clindamycin product such as 'Duac', let face dry, and apply my lotion for sensitive skin- Vanicream. Vanicream is used on acne prone skin, sensitive skin, and Eczema. This lotion goes on very heavy, so I use it as my night cream to keep my skin moisturized during the colder, more dry months of the year. 

     Try these routines and please let me know how they work on your skin. When you go to your dermatologist, give them the names 'Duac' and 'Vanicream'. Most are familiar with these products and should be able to prescribe them to you. I rarely have acne anymore and no longer suffer from sore welts under my skin. I feel like a new Rachel and I love the way I feel and look! Hide your face no more. Come out and play!

     I have more skin secrets that I will divulge to you all in the near future. Follow me and stay tuned.

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SPRING IS NEAR

     Next month, we will be traveling back to one of the most beautiful places on earth- West Point, New York. This past summer I wore this Kate Spade t-shirt, shorts from LOFT, and paired it with this adorable Kate Spade clutch. I accessorized with my pink sunburst earrings from Jcrew and my tortoise Ray-Bans for sun protection.

     My husband and I had the best time exploring the United States Army Academy where we were able to sift through historical buildings and landmarks. I am very much looking forward to exploring the Hudson Valley and going on some more adventures together as a family.

     Be on the look out for this clutch in more of my upcoming blog posts. Email me with any Specific questions about the area and I would be more than willing to help with ideas on where to visit while you are on vacation in the Hudson Valley area.

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