Seeing that I am an only child, my view on siblings is pretty much limited to what I saw on "Growing Pains" and all those other 80's shows that I absolutely loved to watch growing up. Now, as the mother of two little girls, I get a front row seat of siblinghood, 24/7...unfiltered. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's ugly, sometimes it's annoying, but it's always a case of "sister see, sister do."
Don't get me wrong, I'm not comparing my kids to monkeys with that analogy...okay, well, maybe sometimes. But, it really is amazing to see how much my younger daughter imitates her older sister. If big sis is done with her breakfast, so is little sis, even if she still has more than half a bowl of cereal left. If big sis grabs a Barbie to play with, little sis drops whatever she has and grabs a Barbie too. Even when big sis goes poop, little sis follows and keeps her company. Awww...how sweet! No, honestly, it's just gross. Who wants to sit with someone while they poop? Anyone? That's what I thought, but, I digress.
It's also funny to see how my younger daughter reacts when her sister has a friend over to play. I can tell you that someone turns a little green with envy. While she plays along at times, she will also take toys from her sister's playmate and point to her sister and say "mine". It's kinda cute, I guess!
While all the cutesy pooh stuff is great times two, the bad behavior is not. I also get a double scoop of couch jumping, ottoman standing, and goldfish crunching on my rug...just to name a few of the Olympic events that go on in my house.This stuff "times two" sucks twice as much in case you were wondering.
Since I never had a sibling I have no idea what the future holds as these girls get older. I can imagine there are going to be plenty of cat fights and plenty of slammed doors. I'm sure there will be plenty of "growing pains" too as our little games of "sister see, sister do" mature with age. I just hope they will remain "besties" and realize how lucky they are to have each other.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Dermagist Product Review & Giveaway
As a mom, I love to hit the spa. Maybe you didn't hear me...I LOVE to hit the spa. But, with two little ones around my ankles, it's not always easy to just get up and go find some Zen amidst the Barbies and teddy bears. So, I look for it anywhere I can get it. I tend to look for products that are quick and easy but can still get the job done. It may sound like something easy to find, but let me tell you, it's not.
So, in my quest to find some tranquility in my life, I tried out the Dermagist Hydrating Spa System. It comes with hydropeutic body lotion, hydro-renewal hand cream, as well as foot and hand revitalizing cream (my fave by the way!). The hydropeutic body lotion is great for after the shower, especially during these summer months when skin tends to dry out due to sun exposure. The lotion glides on so easily and isn't thick and nasty like some other over the counter stuff. It also has that "spa" smell, if you know what I mean. It's that refreshing smell that just says relaxation. After using it for a month, I can honestly say I can feel a difference in my skin. It isn't dry and yucky, not even in this summer weather. Bonus!
As far as the other products in the system go, the hand cream worked well too. I have to admit my hands were never dry or really in need of extra TLC, so I didn't really see that much of a difference. But, it still smelled great and was also easy to apply.
Saving the best for last...the foot and hand revitalizing cream. Let's focus on the feet, shall we? This cream was absolutely awesome for tired feet that have been flipping and flopping all day long in sandals. It really was a little slice of heaven to put it on at night while finally putting my feet up and catching up on my DVR. Once again, the smell brought on a feeling of relaxation. In the morning, I could notice a definite difference in how my feet felt. They felt rejuvenated. It really brought a smile to this momma's face!
All in all, I would recommend using these products if you are looking for a light moisturizer that smells great and makes you feel like you are at the spa, without making your wallet feel like it is there too. They smell great and work great, so you can ask for much more.
Wouldn't it be great to try these products out for free too? I thought you would say yes. So here's how you can...
1. Go and like Dermagist on Facebook
2. Follow Dermagist on Pinterest
A couple of rules:
If you have previously won a Dermagist giveaway, you are not eligible for this one
This is open to U.S. & Canada residents only
Giveaway winner will be chosen on 7/15/13
Good Luck!
So, in my quest to find some tranquility in my life, I tried out the Dermagist Hydrating Spa System. It comes with hydropeutic body lotion, hydro-renewal hand cream, as well as foot and hand revitalizing cream (my fave by the way!). The hydropeutic body lotion is great for after the shower, especially during these summer months when skin tends to dry out due to sun exposure. The lotion glides on so easily and isn't thick and nasty like some other over the counter stuff. It also has that "spa" smell, if you know what I mean. It's that refreshing smell that just says relaxation. After using it for a month, I can honestly say I can feel a difference in my skin. It isn't dry and yucky, not even in this summer weather. Bonus!
As far as the other products in the system go, the hand cream worked well too. I have to admit my hands were never dry or really in need of extra TLC, so I didn't really see that much of a difference. But, it still smelled great and was also easy to apply.
Saving the best for last...the foot and hand revitalizing cream. Let's focus on the feet, shall we? This cream was absolutely awesome for tired feet that have been flipping and flopping all day long in sandals. It really was a little slice of heaven to put it on at night while finally putting my feet up and catching up on my DVR. Once again, the smell brought on a feeling of relaxation. In the morning, I could notice a definite difference in how my feet felt. They felt rejuvenated. It really brought a smile to this momma's face!
All in all, I would recommend using these products if you are looking for a light moisturizer that smells great and makes you feel like you are at the spa, without making your wallet feel like it is there too. They smell great and work great, so you can ask for much more.
Wouldn't it be great to try these products out for free too? I thought you would say yes. So here's how you can...
1. Go and like Dermagist on Facebook
2. Follow Dermagist on Pinterest
A couple of rules:
If you have previously won a Dermagist giveaway, you are not eligible for this one
This is open to U.S. & Canada residents only
Giveaway winner will be chosen on 7/15/13
Good Luck!
Friday, July 5, 2013
Put Down the Phone
Okay, so I am the first person to admit I love my phone. I love checking Facebook and Twitter a few times a day as well as my email. I love to text and google random stuff that comes to my head. Do I do it in front of my kids? Yes, although I try to keep it to a minimum. But, do I do it during story time with my kids or while I'm supposed to be watching them do an activity? No.
As a I grab my step stool to get up on my soap box for a few minutes I would like to thank the parents who inspired this blog post. Thank you to the moms who text and do whatever else on their phones at the library instead of watching their kids during story time. A big shout out to the moms who are sharing photos with each other during story time at Barnes & Noble. Sometimes they get so chatty I can't even pay attention to the story. I can just imagine how the kids do it. I don't want to forget the parents at the beach who are too busy talking on their phones to realize their kids are going a little too close to the water's edge.
Okay, so now that I'm comfy on my soap box I can tell you why all this stuff bothers me. I know I shouldn't care, but I feel bad for the kids who are being ignored at the hands of technology. When I was growing up (oh God, I sound like my mom!) I didn't have to compete with a phone for my parents' attention. I feel like our kids have to do that sometimes. That makes me sad. Kids get excited over the littlest things. Every letter they learn and every leaf they pick up off the ground is a BIG deal. It's too bad so many parents are so buried in their phones to even notice.
Don't get me wrong, there are times when I catch myself doing the same thing. Then I tell myself to put the phone away and just focus on my kids and the "now". The "later" will be for the phone and all that other junk that takes up too much time already.
Okay, so I think you all get my point here. I wish they had an app to teach some parents how to pay closer attention to their kids! For the time being, let's just put down the phone peeps...at least for our kids'!
As a I grab my step stool to get up on my soap box for a few minutes I would like to thank the parents who inspired this blog post. Thank you to the moms who text and do whatever else on their phones at the library instead of watching their kids during story time. A big shout out to the moms who are sharing photos with each other during story time at Barnes & Noble. Sometimes they get so chatty I can't even pay attention to the story. I can just imagine how the kids do it. I don't want to forget the parents at the beach who are too busy talking on their phones to realize their kids are going a little too close to the water's edge.
Okay, so now that I'm comfy on my soap box I can tell you why all this stuff bothers me. I know I shouldn't care, but I feel bad for the kids who are being ignored at the hands of technology. When I was growing up (oh God, I sound like my mom!) I didn't have to compete with a phone for my parents' attention. I feel like our kids have to do that sometimes. That makes me sad. Kids get excited over the littlest things. Every letter they learn and every leaf they pick up off the ground is a BIG deal. It's too bad so many parents are so buried in their phones to even notice.
Don't get me wrong, there are times when I catch myself doing the same thing. Then I tell myself to put the phone away and just focus on my kids and the "now". The "later" will be for the phone and all that other junk that takes up too much time already.
Okay, so I think you all get my point here. I wish they had an app to teach some parents how to pay closer attention to their kids! For the time being, let's just put down the phone peeps...at least for our kids'!
Saturday, June 29, 2013
I Love Mommy!
Okay, so there are a few first words and phrases that can get a parent a little misty. "I love (fill in the blank of said parent) is one of them. Last week, my little one said "I love Mommy" for the first time. It would have been fantastic on any given day, but she decided to say it on a day that really sucked for me. I didn't expect her to say it then because I've been trying to get her to say "I love you" for weeks now and get "I...u". Love just seems to be a hard word for little kids to get out. But, at that particular moment she managed to get it out. She's only said it one more time since then, but I don't care. She said it and that's all that counts.
I'm sharing this not only because it was great, but because I think it's funny how kids know what you need at just the right time without knowing it. Does that make any sense? See, I was a good mommy all day long on the day I got my first "I love Mommy", but was highly aggravated under the surface and tried not to let it show. It was just a domino effect of crappy things that made me want to drink a bottle of wine at the end of the day, although I didn't. So, hearing those three little words really meant the world to me that day. I clapped and cried, of course. My daughter knew she did something good that night because we were all excited, but she still has no idea just how much it meant.
I think kids have a sixth sense on these type of things because it's not the first time this has happened. There's been other times when my older daughter has said or done something just when I needed it. Of course she didn't know it at the time. That's what made it all the more special. We always hear about a mother's intuition, but I truly think kids have it too. I can't wait to see what they come up with next!
I'm sharing this not only because it was great, but because I think it's funny how kids know what you need at just the right time without knowing it. Does that make any sense? See, I was a good mommy all day long on the day I got my first "I love Mommy", but was highly aggravated under the surface and tried not to let it show. It was just a domino effect of crappy things that made me want to drink a bottle of wine at the end of the day, although I didn't. So, hearing those three little words really meant the world to me that day. I clapped and cried, of course. My daughter knew she did something good that night because we were all excited, but she still has no idea just how much it meant.
I think kids have a sixth sense on these type of things because it's not the first time this has happened. There's been other times when my older daughter has said or done something just when I needed it. Of course she didn't know it at the time. That's what made it all the more special. We always hear about a mother's intuition, but I truly think kids have it too. I can't wait to see what they come up with next!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Potty Pride
As a mom, so many little things are big things. First steps, first words, and of course, first pee pee in the potty. But, it's also hard to be there for each and every milestone because kids always tend to do things when we are not around. It's just the way it is. With my first daughter, I caught the first step (at least as far as I know). I think I was around for the first word...of course it was "Daddy". But, I remember missing the first potty encounter.
She did it at mother-in-law's house. I remember my husband calling me at work and telling me. I also remember being upset that I missed it. Imagine, being upset over pee in a potty! Just paint a big "L" on my forehead. These are the things that happen when you become a mother, I guess. I actually got a little misty as I told a co-worker. He giggled a little, but said he understood. I felt so horrible that I missed a milestone! She could care less, I'm sure. But, to me it was a big deal.
Fast forward a couple of years...I'm making eggs in the kitchen, the girls are playing in the living room. My little one strips down to her birthday suit...her sister makes sure I know about it. She runs around naked. I'm trying to finish cooking the damn eggs so I can put a diaper on her. The eggs are done. She's standing in the hallway...naked.
"Let's get a diaper on you," I say. "Pee, pee," she says. I immediately look down at the floor, assuming I now have a puddle to clean up. Nope, dry floor. "Pee, pee!" she tells me again. So, I carry her and put her on the potty. I figure it's worth a try. Trickle, Trickle...score! We have our first pee pee in the potty! I clapped for her and made a big deal like we just hit the lotto. She was happy too, clapping and smiling on the toilet. Her older sister came in and was clapping for her too. I was there for this one. Score one for mom!
Like I said, this may sound silly to some, but I was so happy I was around for this milestone. As a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom, you sometimes only have a bag of dirty diapers and a perfectly colored picture of Elmo to show at the end of the day. You often ask yourself what you did all day. The house is still a mess, the same amount of money is in the bank. You feel like you have nothing to show for the day, although deep down you know you did a hell of a lot. So, days like this when I can be around to catch a milestone, mean a lot. I'll take this one to the memory bank.
She did it at mother-in-law's house. I remember my husband calling me at work and telling me. I also remember being upset that I missed it. Imagine, being upset over pee in a potty! Just paint a big "L" on my forehead. These are the things that happen when you become a mother, I guess. I actually got a little misty as I told a co-worker. He giggled a little, but said he understood. I felt so horrible that I missed a milestone! She could care less, I'm sure. But, to me it was a big deal.
Fast forward a couple of years...I'm making eggs in the kitchen, the girls are playing in the living room. My little one strips down to her birthday suit...her sister makes sure I know about it. She runs around naked. I'm trying to finish cooking the damn eggs so I can put a diaper on her. The eggs are done. She's standing in the hallway...naked.
"Let's get a diaper on you," I say. "Pee, pee," she says. I immediately look down at the floor, assuming I now have a puddle to clean up. Nope, dry floor. "Pee, pee!" she tells me again. So, I carry her and put her on the potty. I figure it's worth a try. Trickle, Trickle...score! We have our first pee pee in the potty! I clapped for her and made a big deal like we just hit the lotto. She was happy too, clapping and smiling on the toilet. Her older sister came in and was clapping for her too. I was there for this one. Score one for mom!
Like I said, this may sound silly to some, but I was so happy I was around for this milestone. As a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom, you sometimes only have a bag of dirty diapers and a perfectly colored picture of Elmo to show at the end of the day. You often ask yourself what you did all day. The house is still a mess, the same amount of money is in the bank. You feel like you have nothing to show for the day, although deep down you know you did a hell of a lot. So, days like this when I can be around to catch a milestone, mean a lot. I'll take this one to the memory bank.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Father's Day Dilemma
So, Father's Day is just a couple of days away and I have yet to buy anything for my husband (sorry honey!). Don't get me wrong, I have asked him if there's anything in particular he may want. He said nothing. But, I'm not sure if it's a "nothing" nothing or a "nothing" something if you know what I mean. I usually say nothing and mean it, but always get something anyway. I don't want Sunday to roll around and have him look for something that isn't around. Ugh. Sigh.
What do you buy Dad for Father's Day? All the ads tell me Dad wants some new tools, a tie, and some cologne. Those are such snoozer gifts and so predictable. I usually like to think out of the box, but I just can't come up with anything really good this year. It's so annoying. Ugh. Sigh.
We don't even know what we're doing that day. I asked if he wanted to go anywhere special or have me make anything special. He said he wants to play it by ear. Hmmm. That doesn't leave me much to go on. Ugh. Sigh.
I know some guys who actually take Father's Day to go golfing or fishing...alone. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of Father's Day? You wouldn't get to celebrate the day if you didn't have a kid, so shouldn't you at least spend it with the family? Maybe it's just me. Although, I know my husband is probably going to ask the kids to let him just relax. Too bad the chances of that happening are about as likely as us winning the lottery. Ugh. Sigh.
Seeing that we are just a few days out, I think I may just see where the wind takes us.
Although I haven't bought anything yet and don't have any dinner reservations, I know that whatever we do will end up being perfect. He already has the three best ladies in the world, right? That's gotta be better than some ugly tie or power drill, right? I've gotta think so. To all the Dads out there, Happy Father's Day! To all the ladies out there, what are you doing? Maybe I can piggyback an idea from you!
What do you buy Dad for Father's Day? All the ads tell me Dad wants some new tools, a tie, and some cologne. Those are such snoozer gifts and so predictable. I usually like to think out of the box, but I just can't come up with anything really good this year. It's so annoying. Ugh. Sigh.
We don't even know what we're doing that day. I asked if he wanted to go anywhere special or have me make anything special. He said he wants to play it by ear. Hmmm. That doesn't leave me much to go on. Ugh. Sigh.
I know some guys who actually take Father's Day to go golfing or fishing...alone. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of Father's Day? You wouldn't get to celebrate the day if you didn't have a kid, so shouldn't you at least spend it with the family? Maybe it's just me. Although, I know my husband is probably going to ask the kids to let him just relax. Too bad the chances of that happening are about as likely as us winning the lottery. Ugh. Sigh.
Seeing that we are just a few days out, I think I may just see where the wind takes us.
Although I haven't bought anything yet and don't have any dinner reservations, I know that whatever we do will end up being perfect. He already has the three best ladies in the world, right? That's gotta be better than some ugly tie or power drill, right? I've gotta think so. To all the Dads out there, Happy Father's Day! To all the ladies out there, what are you doing? Maybe I can piggyback an idea from you!
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
No Vacation from Motherhood
Vacation: noun, a scheduled period during which activity is suspended. That's the definition from Webster's dictionary. Vacation with kids: noun, a scheduled period of time where you will get no rest and if you think you were going to, you were an idiot. That's my definition from the dictionary of Kristina. If you haven't figured it out yet, I just returned from a vacation with my children. I don't know if it was the warmer air or what, but at times, they seemed like someone switched out my kids and gave me some creatures from the planet Cling-On and Whine All the Time.
Before you think I had some horrible vacation, I honestly didn't. It was a good time. But, let's just say there were some trying times that I really wasn't expecting. For the most part my girls are pretty good at home, even my little rowdy one is usually okay, although some would tend to disagree. But, during our week at the beach, they did things they usually don't, which got really annoying.
For one, the defiance of the nap proved to be public enemy number one. My older daughter refused to nap after a busy morning at the beach. Therefore, by the time dinner rolled around, her whine-atude was amped up and she wanted to be attached at my hip, my leg, my arm...you get the picture. Just take a damn nap! That's all she had to do. But no, she had to prove she was some type of non-sleeping superhero. Epic fail.
As for the little babe, she napped, but was still a terror. At times, she was even worse after a nap. I just don't get it. She would wake up with such a bad attitude that I wanted to ship her back home. Her fearlessness also made me wish I had eyes behind my head. She became an expert in diving off furniture and even thought she could walk on water. She scared the bejesus out of me when she tried to walk to her father who was in the pool. Luckily he was right there to catch her.
Don't even get me started on the ride home. My older daughter actually slept for most of the ride. She must have been tired from all those naps she didn't take. But,my younger one needed a straight jacket and a bottle of Benadryl. She wanted no part of her car seat nor the wide variety of DVDs I brought along. Neither Dora, Caillou, nor Barney helped. So needless to say, it was the ride from hell.
After telling some of my vacation stories, someone told me I need to bring a "children's helper" along next time. Yeah okay, are you going to pay for that? I didn't think so. Someone else also told me it gets better. So I'm going to believe that for now. One thing I did learn was that there is never a vacation from motherhood. There's always poop that will need to be cleaned, mouths that will need to be fed, boo boos that will need to be kissed, and fights that will need to be broken up. On the flip side, there will also always be bottles of wine to drink to help deal with all that! So, we'll see what happens next year. Stay tuned!
Before you think I had some horrible vacation, I honestly didn't. It was a good time. But, let's just say there were some trying times that I really wasn't expecting. For the most part my girls are pretty good at home, even my little rowdy one is usually okay, although some would tend to disagree. But, during our week at the beach, they did things they usually don't, which got really annoying.
For one, the defiance of the nap proved to be public enemy number one. My older daughter refused to nap after a busy morning at the beach. Therefore, by the time dinner rolled around, her whine-atude was amped up and she wanted to be attached at my hip, my leg, my arm...you get the picture. Just take a damn nap! That's all she had to do. But no, she had to prove she was some type of non-sleeping superhero. Epic fail.
As for the little babe, she napped, but was still a terror. At times, she was even worse after a nap. I just don't get it. She would wake up with such a bad attitude that I wanted to ship her back home. Her fearlessness also made me wish I had eyes behind my head. She became an expert in diving off furniture and even thought she could walk on water. She scared the bejesus out of me when she tried to walk to her father who was in the pool. Luckily he was right there to catch her.
Don't even get me started on the ride home. My older daughter actually slept for most of the ride. She must have been tired from all those naps she didn't take. But,my younger one needed a straight jacket and a bottle of Benadryl. She wanted no part of her car seat nor the wide variety of DVDs I brought along. Neither Dora, Caillou, nor Barney helped. So needless to say, it was the ride from hell.
After telling some of my vacation stories, someone told me I need to bring a "children's helper" along next time. Yeah okay, are you going to pay for that? I didn't think so. Someone else also told me it gets better. So I'm going to believe that for now. One thing I did learn was that there is never a vacation from motherhood. There's always poop that will need to be cleaned, mouths that will need to be fed, boo boos that will need to be kissed, and fights that will need to be broken up. On the flip side, there will also always be bottles of wine to drink to help deal with all that! So, we'll see what happens next year. Stay tuned!
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