Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate.
This year was extra special for me since it was the first year I hosted Christmas Eve dinner in our new house. You might remember last year our home was under renovations and I wasn't able to invite my family over. Ever since I was a little girl I always dreamed of hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner and this year I finally did.
If you girls have been following me for awhile then you know I've had long hair my entire life but always wanted a change. I was too afraid to ever cut it until today! Garnier invited me to get my hair styled by celebrity hairstylist Tommy Buckett.. I was so incredibly honored to have this legend touch my hair. I mean, this man has styled so many incredible people including Paul Mccartney. & now me!! It still blows my mind. I will forever be thankful for this opportunity. Thank you Garnier.
At the appointment I asked Tommy to give me a fresh look and we went for a layered cut but still keeping it long. I loved the results!
He used Garnier's Sleek Shot which is a product that you use in the shower mixed with your shampoo. The results are beautiful shiny, sleek hair in half the time.
You can find Garnier Sleek Shot at Target
https://goo.gl/jHjneg
This post is sponsored by adidas. As always all opinions are my own.
It's the most wonderful time of the year. It's also my favorite month since it's my wedding anniversary, my dad's birthday, my birthday, and Christmas. Let's not forget it's also that time of year where we close a chapter in our lives right before opening a new one. This is the time to reflect on our mistakes, our achievements and our future goals. During this time some people like to make New Years Resolutions, I personally don't. In the past I've made really unrealistic and unachievable resolutions and it's why I stopped making them. Instead, I like to set monthly goals. This keeps me motivated and active throughout the year.
Before giving birth to baby James I was 115 pounds, after birth I was 162 pounds and five months later I'm now 135 pounds. Clearly I have a long way to go in order to achieve my weight goal of 120 pounds but I'm working on it little by little.
One thing I recently tried was meal prepping. This is something I've heard so many people talk about and they say it works wonders. I didn't believe it until I tried it. Now, I don't have a scale and I don't weigh the food but I do portion things out and I do use lots of vegetables as well as lean meats. Here's what I would do; I choose one day of the week to cook a few different healthy dishes which I eat throughout the week. This for me was a game changer. Not only is this a huge time saver but it's also helped me avoid ordering takeout which is my biggest problem. & yes, it's true the I haven't 100% stuck to this routine 7 days a week but I also try not to be too hard myself and give myself a few days off the routine. I'm hoping that the longer I meal prep, the better I get at training my body to make healthier choices.
Today I'm going to share one of my absolute favorite recipes to make in a jiffy. This is something I used to make for my family even before I started meal prepping. The only difference is the portion control and side dishes may vary.
So I decided to do Vlogmas this year and I'm super excited about it as it will allow me to get a little more comfortable with the camera. That's one of my new years resolution: not to be afraid of the camera. As many of you know, I've been blogging for 7 years now and still have a little fear of being on camera. I feel that vlogging throughout the month of December will enable me to loose that fear come 2019.
My family has been having so much fun sharing a little more of our daily lives. We really hope you all enjoy :)
It would mean the world to us if you would LIKE and Subscribe to our channel here and here.
The holiday season is hectic enough and the last thing you want to do is stress out about Black Friday and Cyber Monday too. That's why I brought the best deals from the biggest retailers right to you.
All you have to do is click on the brands and it'll take you directly to site. Happy shopping!
As a busy mom of two daughters and a four month old baby boy I'm always looking forward to a nice sleep (whenever I can). & can you blame me? After years of sleeping on uncomfortable spring mattresses I can finally tell you how much of a difference it makes to sleep on a memory foam mattress. My daughters can agree. Now that school is in session it is crucial for our mini-me's to have the right foundation to focus in class and it all starts with the right mattress.
It's crazy how James is already 4 moths old, and it's also crazy how it's the end of October. I mean, next thing you know the year is over! Ugh.. seriously where does the time go?
I feel like over the past few months I've gained new readers and I wanted to share a few random facts about me just so you all can get to know me better.
Thee most frequently asked question in my inbox is "what products do you recommend for new moms?". There are of course many things I love to use on baby James like Mustela lotion and Burtsbees line of baby clothing. Since it’s almost impossible to name them all, I decided to categorize them and include them in different posts. Today’s post is all about New Moms Must Haves. These are items that I strongly recommend getting as it’s made my life so much easier.
In life, we sometimes find ourselves deep in despair. In the moment we think nothing can fix us, no one can make us feel better and for that time everything stands still.
This was my life for over 9 months. My entire pregnancy was a living nightmare. I felt every emotion imaginable. Not only was my pregnancy stressful but I also had many complications during and after delivery.
On October 27th, Brookfield Place (BFPL) New York is throwing a spook-tacular Halloween Bash with a full afternoon line-up of family-friendly events. Bring the kids in their spookiest costume to watch gooey pumpkin slime experiments, take photos with the larger-than-life LEGO sculpture and trick-or-treat throughout Brookfield Place.
Other not to be missed activities include the costume catwalk, performances by world-famous performers from the Coney Island Circus Sideshow and a sneak peek into the inner workings of ghosts and how they fly with The Ghosts of Brookfield Place.
Halloween Bash Schedule (10/27):
Performance Circle:
·12-1PM: Watch escape artist Adam Rinn perform and pay tribute to the late great Harry Houdini as he attempts to escape from ropes, handcuffs and a strait jacket
·1-2PM: Explore gooey pumpkin slime experiments, frothing witches brew and warlock potions during a presentation with Mad Science.
·2-3PM: Michael Karas, New York’s most gift young juggler, performs feats of skill and agility that are certain to amaze.
Mobile Talent:
·12-3PM: Coney Island USA is sure to impress with shows by world-famous performers such as the stilt walker, the world-champion lasso-throwing cowboy, and the quick magician.
Winter Garden:
·12-3PM: Josh Corn and Eden Lew of Double Take Labs bring you the inner-workings of ghosts so you can finally understand how exactly they stay afloat.
Upper Plaza:
·12:30PM & 2PM: Enjoy music by The Pop-Ups, a collaboration between Brooklyn musicians Jason Rabinowitz and Jacob Stein who have been setting the standard for children’s music since 2010.
Having two trilingual daughters was much harder back then then it is now. These days we have great educational programs to help us teach our kids a new language.
After having baby James I'm basically starting all over again and I'm taking all the help I can possibly get. That’s why in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, I am so excited to be partnering with Nick Jr. in today’s post.
Nick Jr. has collaborated with Canticos, a collection of some of the most beloved Spanish-language nursery rhymes from all over the world. Canticos’ bilingual nursery rhymes are available on the free Nick Jr. appand Nick Jr. YouTube channel. This new engaging content has made my teachings to baby James a breeze.
All of the nursery rhymes my mom and grandma sang to me when I was younger are available there in English and in Spanish. It's super nostalgic to relive these moments with my little boy and teach him my native language while I’m at it. As a working mom who’s always on the go, I love the convenience of carrying the app with me and listening to them at all times.
Canticos has definitely made play time a lot more fun.
James favorite tune is 'Little Chickies' and quite frankly it's my favorite too. Checkout my Instagram and watch him try to sing along.
Over the weekend my family and I took a spontaneous road trip which let us to BBQ eating and pumpkin picking. _______________________
Durante el fin de semana, mi familia y yo hicimos un viaje por carretera espontáneo que nos permitió comer barbacoa y recoger calabazas.
Baby James turned three months over the weekend and he is already looking forward to eating solids.
I kid you not, every time his sisters eat in front of him he stares and licks his lips. It's the cutest thing ever. Even though he wont be eating anything but milk for the next few months I have recently started searching for baby foods and came across HappyTot.
I was recently introduced to the company and I fell in love instantly! Here's why; This is an organic company that was started by a mom herself and it's currently operated by parents. All of their products have no artificial hormones, no toxic persistent pesticides and no GMO's.
If you follow me on instagram and snapchat then you might've seen clips of me reading to my family. I do it quite often as I believe it is so important to instill reading to our kids from birth. Call me crazy but I use to read to Jayleen, Hazel and James while pregnant with them. After birth I would do the same as this opens a window of curiosity and feeds their creativity.
Who remembers when Hazel had short hair!? I miss it so much and have been trying to convince her to cut it short again but she refuses to. While going through my photo library I found these photos of her when we visited Morey's Piers a few years ago. How things have changed since then. She now has much longer hair, has lost a few teeth in the process and is contemplating on getting a new pet... and speaking of pets; Morey's Piers is having a super cool pet friendly event. Continue reading to find out all the details.
I expressed my love via social accounts but never on the blog. Since then a few things have changed for the better and I had to share the news with you guys.
Starting today (August 1st) Maman is offering a kids menu!! That's huge news for moms all around New York City. Theres always a struggle when going out to eat with kids; Are they going to like the food? Are the portions too big for them? Do they have coloring placemats to entertain them? Ugh! If you're a mom then you can totally relate.
Now my girls can order their own mini version of avocado toast (which Jayleen LOVES) and grilled cheese made with homemade bread. Mmm. What's not to love? Did I mention they can enjoy these delicious items made with locally sourced ingredients while learning French phrases which are on the kid's menu. Now that makes for a fun time.
I'm sure you guys have noticed that I've been feeling very 'casual' lately. Comfortable sneakers and flats have become my best friends. These flats from J.Jill come in three different colors (dusty quartz; which is a beautiful baby pink, camel and black). They are super classy. I feel put together when I'm wearing them became they are flat shoes (with an itty bitty heel) that are comfortable but aren't sneakers.. you know what I mean? I can wear them with literally everything. They are also perfect for always keeping in your bag and changing into when your feel are hurting from wearing high heels.
After discovering Mustela a few years ago I knew that if I ever had another baby I would be using this French skincare line on him/her. Since having James, I have been constantly using Mustela's lotion and cleansing gel. What I love aside from the wonderful scent and gentle products is that the brand not only caters to babies but also to mothers.
I will be two weeks postpartum tomorrow (Friday) and it still blows my mind how amazing I feel. We're currently spending Fourth of July week in Maryland at our favorite resort, Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina. We like to visit this place once a year but since so much has been happening over the past few months (buying a house, buying a car and getting pregnant) we weren't able to visit until now. Also, can you believe we just celebrated our one year anniversary in our house. It's crazy how fast time flies.
I can't even begin to express my feelings towards this little human whom I just met yet feel like I've known my whole life. He is incredibly precious and I feel extremely lucky to be his mama. I don't want to give anything away since I really want to write my birth story but I will tell you this much, he is the new love of my life.
After weeks of resting (and nesting) with no content on the blog I finally feel better and have a clear mind to write/share stories with you once again.
So much has happened in these past few weeks that have really changed me. I'll start with the good news; Baby James is still hanging in there but should be arriving next week. Surprisingly the closer I get to my delivery date the better I feel. Maybe it's the excitement of finally seeing him, holding him in my arms and of course the excitement of getting back to my workout routine which I've been missing very much.
Now for the not so great news that I'm sure many of you have already heard; Anthony Michael Bourdain's passing. If you've been a reader for long then you know how much I admired Anthony Bourdain. His death hit me so hard that it basically woke me up from my uninspired-lack of confidence-staycation. It really shook me. Have you ever experienced that? It's a numbing pain where your life becomes still and you feel it stop for a few seconds.. then your head basically comes back into it's place and all your priorities and dreams are reborn again. All your blessings are a little more visible and you hold your life a little tighter.
No Reservations, The Layover, Parts Unknown.. these were the only shows my husband and I would ever watch on TV. It's insane how someone who inspired so many to travel and write stories could do such an act. Another incredible woman we lost on the same week was Katherine Noel Brosnahan, also known as Kate Spade.
All these tragic events are a simple reminder that everyone is fighting their own battles behind close doors no matter how happy or successful they may seem. Let's all be nice, respectful and supportive towards one another. Check up on those we love even if they seem to have it all figured out.
I wanted to write this message before getting back into the flow of things.
Who doesn't love bouncy, shiny, healthy and smelling good hair? I know I do!
These next few products that I'm going to be sharing have done just that for me.
Hair is extremely important to me as it has become my security blanket over the years. Growing up my grandmother always washed, brushed and styled my locks. I never payed attention and she never verbally told me how much work it took to maintain hair healthy. After becoming an adult (which I refuse to believe) and years of practice I have found a few steps to keeping my hair looking and feeling it's best.
Yet another Friday is here. Gee, where does the time go? Next thing you know baby J will be here (in less than 2 months) and things will change forever. It's a bit crazy when you think about how fast time goes by. To think that Hazel and Jayleen were once in my belly and now their 7 and 10 years old. I know all moms feel this way and it's hard to accept that our offsprings will one day have a family and life of their own. Call me crazy but I am already thinking about how sad I am going to be when my girls go off to college and even when they marry. Yes, I know I have a few loose screws but the reality is that it's going to happen in a blink of an eye. I have become so attached to my girls that it's incredibly painful to think about them growing up.
Now with baby J soon in the picture I pray that this fear diminishes just a bit. I hear boys are crazy with their moms and if they are crazier than my girls then I will start planning my next one. ____________________________________
Rossopomodoro
West Village
118 Greenwich Ave
New York, NY 10011
(212) 242-2310
My girls love to cook and bake. They are constantly watching shows on the Cooking Channel and Food Network like Cupcake wars and their absolute favorite Netflix series which they've watched over 10 times, Zumbo's Just Desserts. So when we heard about Rossopomodoro (Rossonyc) offering kids pizza making classes we couldn't pass on the opportunity.
This service is fairly new so if you'd like to book a class or party just call the restaurant and let them know. It's super affordable and so much fun. The restaurant provides all the ingredients as well as an apron and a chef's hat. I mean, who doesn't want to be a chef for a day?
Mixing hi's and low's is one of my favorite outfit combinations. Since I've been struggling to find cute maternity clothes during this pregnancy, I have to rely on my trusty readers to recommend shops where I can potentially find fun items that aren't the obvious maxi dresses.
Every passing year is bittersweet. Hazel turned 7 earlier this month and today Jayleen turns 10!! I’m really grateful for the young ladies these two are becoming but I’m also sad to see their not babies anymore. #happybirthday
I guess you could say I've been in a creative funk lately. Waking up and doing anything at this point seems impossible. Some of it has to do with my complicated pregnancy and some with just personal issues. I honestly try to shake it off but at times it seems pointless. Nonetheless, I continue with my daily uplifting routine such as my shower ritual (read if you missed it here), breathing exercises and reading uplifting quotes. Here are some of my favorite inspirational quotes that I am currently loving and always put me in a better mood.
I can't believe this little girl is already 7 years old. Where does the time go?
For her birthday I brought her over to CoolMess. This is a fun ice-cream making shop where you can also have savory meals. We went here for lunch and for dessert decided to make our own ice-cream. Our toppings were Oreo cookies, marshmallows and caramel.
Hazel isn't the type to love sweets but when it comes to vanilla ice-cream she's all over it. I knew she would love this place.
Yesterday I was feeling a little down and had major back pain from shoveling the snow last week. I know I shouldn't be doing this but I like to keep myself busy throughout the day. Anyways, Moe was really mad at me for doing so and recommended a few topics to write about on the blog that would keep me busy without having to do any lifting around the house. These were his exact words "Please don't do any heavy lifting. Use your strong mind and create something on your blog". One of his suggestions was doing a Spring cleaning post. I've seen these go around every year and they are all the same. They all talk about cleaning your house and organizing your closet. I wanted to provide something different.
Like many of you, I spend my precious hours browsing through hundreds of products online. In one site more than others, Amazon. I've been a member for 'who knows how long' and have bought kids essentials, gifts and home decor throughout the years. Just like you!
Since our recent home purchase I've been spending more and more time on Amazon. Not only are their prices unbeatable but you find everything you need in one place.
Well, to keep this post short and simple.. I was recently contacted by Amazon. I mean, can you even believe that!? I certainly couldn't. Anyways, they basically wanted to give me my own Amazon shop. Ahh!
I am happy to say that I have my very own Amazon shop Amazon.com/shop/nytrendymoms ( see it here ) and have earned the title of an #AmazonInfluencer. I can now share recommended items, share direct links (not third parties) to things around my house like my bathroom sink which I got many questions on, my sunglass and watch organizer and so much more.
One of my Spring resolutions is to spend less time on social media and have more real time encounters with inspiring women. Over the weekend I set up a nice brunch with a few women who I wanted to rub off energies with. We visited Scriptum located on 65 Kent Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249.
Head to Court 16 Long Island City as they celebrate the start of Spring with exciting activities on and off the court! With food provided by our friends at Indie LIC and Berg Bites, incredible special guests, and awesome prizes, it's time for the spring season.
The inaugural Family Weekend Happening at Court 16 Long Island City is open to all families in New York City. They'll have free classes for kids and Pickleball intro sessions for parents. RSVP below for an incredible day of tennis and family fun - make sure to tell everyone you know!
I've been on a roll when it comes to beauty posts lately and I'm really happy you are all enjoying them. Since quitting caffeine, controlling my sugar intake and no longer having any morning sickness I have been super inspired to write and shoot content for you guys. I honestly feel like celebrating since I thought the sickness would go on for the entire nine months of my pregnancy.
You're probably super tired of hearing me say, "When you look good, you feel good" and that doesn't only apply to fashion but also beauty. There is no better feeling than waking up with beautiful skin. Being able to step out your house without a drop of makeup and getting countless compliments on your skin. Not only is this a confident booster for anyone but it also contributes to the flawless finish of any look. Hence, I'm all about new skincare products specially if their by La Mer.
Urban Decay has released a new Eye and Face Palette named after their bestselling Vice Lipstick shade, Backtalk. They were kind enough to send it over for me to share with all of you. This new palette is a two in one palette. Eight eyeshadows, two highlighters and two blushes are divided by a double sided mirror. The magnetic mirror is also removable.
The palette is full of nude-mauve, soft berry and muted rose shades, perfect for Spring.
I recommend using the palette along with the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil to create a Spring/Summery look. Specially if you like a more dramatic look since the shades on the palette are quite light. I might do a tutorial on my Youtube Channel so be sure to subscribe.
Urban Decay is 100% cruelty free. This palette is Paraben free.
