What every new mom needs to know - Burping 101

I gave birth to my daughter almost a week ago and in the short space of time that I've had her, I realized that I SUCK AT BURPING BABIES!!!! I've tried putting the baby on my shoulder and patting her back gently, sitting her upright on my lap and patting and even laying her across my lap but nothing worked. Often times, my baby girl would end up with hiccups instead of giving me a burp. This is my second time around at parenting (I have a 5 year old too) and from all recall, I didn't do a good job of burping the baby then either. This time around, I was becoming more frustrated and feeling like a failure for not being able to master something as simple as burping a baby. But... I wasn't going to give up that easily. So today, I took to the site that knows it all--> YouTube (they have a video tutorial for everything).  Boy did I hit the jackpot. I came across the method below and let me tell you, it works like a charm. So.... new and not so new mommies, if you ever find yourself in a burping dilemma like I did, check out the video below. It works!

Torpedo

Fell in love with this song after watching Love & Hip Hop Atlanta. It's a great anthem for coping with life's trials. 

So come on torpedo do your worst
You get me right in the heart, blow me up 'til you see my ghost
But I will not lay down in the road
I will not make it easy
I ain't got no saints or saviors
This is guerrilla and I will fight this war
So come on torpedo

I will fight this war, so come on torpedo...

Baby News!

Just popping in to say that I will be missing in action for the next few days. I gave birth to my daughter on July 25th, 2013 via c-section. We're both doing great! 

Let's get Zesty!

Have you seen these commercials?

Companies are getting more and more cunning with their advertising. They're using every possible avenue to appeal to their target market (in this case--> moms, single ladies, house wives basically those who do the grocery shopping). Hot guy with a chiseled body and sexy voice will definitely reel the consumer in. I for one will never look at a kraft salad dressing bottle the same again :-)

What is your take on these commercials?

Online Shopping

Although I reside in one of the most beautiful, touristic destinations in the world, living here has one major draw back for me… The shopping for shoes, clothes and miscellaneous products is limited.  Most of my shopping is done online but I’m finding that most stores don’t ship internationally or accept non-us credit cards.  Despite this, I’ve found some great online stores that I frequent even if it’s just to window shop.  But, I want to expand my list. What are some of your favorite online stores? Don’t be shy, over share!!!

My current favorites

www.asos.com

www.victoriasecrets.com

www.amazon.com

www.zappos.com

www.modcloth.com

www.shoptiques.com

What i'm giving up this summer.

***Let me start by saying that the following post is in no way intended to persuade you to my way of thinking. It is a personal choice I've made in MY life.***

What i'm giving up: red meat

Reason: I recently went to visit a relative in the hospital who had to undergo surgery to remove fibroids. One of the fibroids removed was about 10 inches long (can you imagine a fibroid that big in your body?) in addition to several smaller ones. Pictures were taken of the actual fibroids that came out of her and I was floored by what I saw. In speaking with her, she disclosed that her doctors had advised her to make a life style change when it comes to the food she put in her body. Her team of doctors believe that red meat feeds tumors. I didn't need much convincing after that. 

How does this decision affect me? To be honest, I don't eat that much red meat now. I do however like an occasional lamb chop, beef burger and hotdog. The good thing about this decision I've made is that I have the support of my hubby. He's also decided to decrease the amount of red meat in his diet. He is the general grocery shopper for the household and has pledged not to bring it into the house (he's such a sport).

Have you given up anything or plan to? 

Links to articles about red meat:

Reasons to not eat so much red meat.

Study: Red meat raises risk of dying

The truth about red meat

The writing's on the wall - but you don't see it

This is what i'm listening to now. Discovered it after an episode of Continuum (season 2 episode 8 to be exact). I love the subtleness of the music and lyrics. Click play, close your eyes and let your mind wonder. 

It's not even my birthday!!!

Although I'm not the best cook, I love experimenting with different recipes. So, I decided to treat my son and hubby to some cake! I'm subscribed to DivasCanCook on YouTube and she recently posted a video on making Whipping Cream Pound Cake. It looked easy enough for a novice in the kitchen like myself so, I gave it a go and added my own little flair to it. 

Ingredients

Batter

golden brown

added light cherry topping and some homemade icing

Whoaaa-someone took a huge chunk out of the cake

My son gobbled it down with a side of vanilla ice-cream

If you'd like to try this recipe yourself, the video is below.

Inferno

I'm obsessed with Dan Brown novels. I love his style that showcases rich history lessons, the arts, conspiracy theories, mystery and adventure. Reading a Dan Brown novel thrusts me into an unknown world that takes my mind on an exploratory roller coaster. Imagine my surprise when I found out that he has a new novel out (well new to me). I quickly went to amazon.com and sent the book directly to my Kindle Fire. When I'm done reading, I'll give a full review of the book. I'm curious to know what are some of your favorite novels? What's on your summer reading list? I might just add them to my reading list.

***Direct link to book:--> Inferno

July 31st, 2013 - Book Review
So I've been done reading this book now for a couple of days. I wanted its content to marinate in my mind before I commented on it. The last book I've read by Dan Brown was The Lost Symbol so, I compared this one to that and I must confess that The Lost Symbol was a lot more captivating. I devoured The Lost Symbol in two days and this one took me about 8 days to complete (admittedly I was side tracked by real life a bit). With that being said, this book was still awesome. The plot was believable and the characters relatable. There was a lot of drama and fast paced scenes that kept me involved in the book to the very last page.  The author is known for detailing actual places, artifacts and pieces in his story lines but for this book, I felt as though it was too much and in a small way made me lose interest at times because I wanted the story to hurry up and get to the "juicy" part. Overall however, I would recommend this book to others. It was a good read and I enjoyed it. 

Summer Protective Style

In order to protect my natural hair from the sun and humidity this summer, I had some marley braids installed. 

Type of hair used: Beauti Collection Marley Braid #2

***Bonus: this style allows me some down time from having to fix my hair daily and length retention. 

Goodies!

Those of you who know me personally or have been reading through my earlier blog posts, know that i'm not a big make-up person. My stash consists of the bare essentials and I admit I don't know much about make-up application. In an attempt to sharpen my make-up skills and enhance my ultra conservative feminine side, I've been watching countless YouTube tutorials and reading numerous beauty blogs. Tomorrow I have a photo shoot scheduled and wanted to give a little oomph to my normally bare appearance. So, today I went to the cosmetic store and purchased some goodies. Here's what I got...

 1. My go to brand --> M.A.C

 2. Brow liner in "Stud". Initially went looking for "spiked" but what girl can resist a stud?

 3. Tinted Moisturizer for those casual days when heavy make-up isn't on my agenda. This has a hint of color, SPF 15 and moisturizer.

4. Foundation <--- First time trying this out. Hope i'm not overwhelmed.

5. Foundation brush

Wish me luck with the application now

Summer Scent

I received this fragrance as a gift from hubby about a month back. I'm loving the scent. It's light but lingers as the day progresses. It comes in a cute box and the bottle itself is gorgeous (perfect for decorating my dresser). 

I'm not a fan of strong, overpowering perfumes so, this one is perfect. What's your summer scent?

Billboards Covered in Tits!

I came across this spoken word video (below) this morning and was immediately stirred by the message. I decided to share because I'm sure most persons, especially women can empathize.  

What are your feelings about breastfeeding in public? Please respond in the comment section below.

New Show Alert!

I love science based shows and this one has caught my attention. Over the last few days I've been binge watching this show and am now an official "clone club member". Orphan Black is an exciting and new sci-fi Thriller that airs on BBC America. If you're into science fiction, put this show on your must watch list. You won't be disappointed.