..Life, Likes & Lucas

Babies on planes!

2011-10-12T10:16:00.002-04:00

Sooo we (Lucas and I) are leaving to Chicago tomorrow and although I am ubberly excited for my mini vacation and long weekend and all, I can't help but feel anxious since I will be traveling alone with an 8 month old. When Lucas was just 3 months old we went to Barbados and he fussed about 10 minutes total as the plane landed. But I had Jason with me to help with the feedings, change a diaper in a 2 inch by 2 inch area and share in on the multiple glances we recieved from strangers...When traveling with a baby there are two looks you are guaranteed to get. One comes from the annoyed non-parent that looks at you as if you were the dumbest person on planet earth and what were you thinking traveling with a baby in the first place? Hello! Babies stay home! And no matter how good the baby behaves during the entire flight they still manage to give you the evil eye because you brought a baby on their flight. Then theres the second stare, or shall I say, the look of compassion from fellow parents who seem to have years of experience in the 'traveling with a baby' arena. Not only do they give you the 'i feel sorry for you' look mixed with the sigh of relief of 'ahhhh I'm so glad that's not me anymore' but these babytravelingexperts also feel compelled to offer unsolicited advice...

"Here honey why don't you try to give the baby a bottle, it will help ease the ear pressure.."

UMMM Hellooo!?! Can't you see the bottle in my hands and see how this child keeps knocking it out of his mouth each time I try to feed him!?!?!

"..maybe if you stand up and rock him gently he will fall asleep.."

SERIOUSLY?? You just didn't see me rocking back and forth the back of the plane trying to put this child to sleep??? My shoulders are about to fall off from rocking 23 pounds of baby!

"..you know if you gave him a pacifier he may stop crying..."

WOW! Really? Is that all it takes? I haven't spent the last 30 minutes trying to place the pacifier in the baby's mouth and have him spit it back out each time? Did you miss that? Because it's really fun for me. I actually love hearing my son scream at the top of his lungs on a quiet plane and playing the spit out put back in game with the soothie. yeaa. That's buttloads of fun...thanks for the tip!!!

Fromage Trilogy

2011-09-29T08:31:00.000-04:00

Although Miami is still not as cool as I would like for this time of year, we decided to forget about the hot weather outside and make one of my favorite 'all american' dishes for dinner the other night : grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. One of my favorite things to do when the cool weather comes in is to eat dinner (usually soup) in our patio, unfortunately it is still too hot for that but we still managed to eat soup and not sweat through our dinner despite the outside weather.

Tomato soup isnt complete with a grilled cheese sandwich to anchor it. I love how this meal takes me back to my child hood. The salad is a nice extra which removes some of the guilt for eating carbs at night! LOL

Sharp Cheddar:
Grilled american sharp cheddar cheese on white wonderbread buttered slices sprinked with garlic powder.

Feta:
Diced cucumbers and tomatoes mixed with spring salad leaves dressed with olive oil, vinegar, freshly cracked ground pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Parmessan/Romano:
Because it was a week night and we are super pressed on time, instead of making tomato soup from scratch, we modified our favorite 'canned' soup : V8 tomato & herb
This soup is delicious on its own but we added some red pepper flakes for a little spice, extra tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream to make it a little creamier.

Speak to me o toothless one!!!

2011-09-26T22:04:00.002-04:00

This past weekend, Lucas' first tooth finally broke the gum! I was very excited to see the little white ridges above his gums because this confirmed his erratic, unusually grumpy behavior had legit reasonings behind it and he was not just 'becoming difficult'. I am aware of how blessed I am having such a well behaved baby (so far!). And I honestly cannot imagine dealing with a baby this fussy all the time, I would be a walking zombie overdosing on coffee at work :/ So I am happy that this behavior is just a phase and I can't wait to have my loving, well behaved, sleeping-through-the-night baby back! That's the one thing I have learned with babies..just when you think you have the hang of things and are set in a nice routine, something happens with the little booger that throws everything into a whirlwind and leaves you just as confused as you were the first night home from the hospital.

If its not the first set of vaccines, it's the teething, followed by the growth spurts, the first cold, fever, etc etc etc. Every day you learn something new and hope the next time around, whatever technique worked with the first baby, works for the second. Although I am still new on the mommy scene, I have learned to pick up on the cues my son gives when something is not quite right.. With his teeth for example, about 2 weeks ago, he would just randomly wake up hysterical in the middle of the night, not really hunger pain cries, but loud, wild random screams..then he just started refusing the bottle, or formula for that matter. Perhaps the pressure from sucking on the nipple would hurt his gums? Whatever it was, it made me very uneasy that he wasn't eating enough so the baby bullet has been my best friend. Whenever he refused a bottle I would just give him another 'compota'. On Sunday, he ate solid foods all day and just had one 6 ounce bottle at night. A huge decrease from his regular 4-5 six ounce bottle feedings. I was on the verge of calling the doctor when I finally saw the little white ridges peeking thru his devilish grin Sunday morning! Now with teeth I look forward to sleeping again, and to the next step of feeding: finger foods!

Stone Soup

2011-09-23T09:12:00.000-04:00

I received this as an email the other day and thought it was appropriate to share since the nature of this blog (or any blog really) is to share! I hope you are as enlightened by this story as I was and hopefully we could all start changing our selfish ways!

Happy Friday!

The Wisdom of Sharing

Stone Soup

Imagine a world in which we all shared our gifts and bounty with each other rather than focusing on self preservation.

There are many variations on the story of stone soup, but they all involve a traveler coming into a town beset by famine. The inhabitants try to discourage the traveler from staying, fearing he wants them to give him food. They tell him in no uncertain terms that there's no food anywhere to be found. The traveler explains that he doesn't need any food and that, in fact, he was planning to make a soup to share with all of them. The villagers watch suspiciously as he builds a fire and fills a cauldron with water. With great ceremony, he pulls a stone from a bag, dropping the stone into the pot of water. He sniffs the brew extravagantly and exclaims how delicious stone soup is. As the villagers begin to show interest, he mentions how good the soup would be with just a little cabbage in it. A villager brings out a cabbage to share. This episode repeats itself until the soup has cabbage, carrots, onions, and beets—indeed, a substantial soup that feeds everyone in the village.

This story addresses the human tendency to hoard in times of deprivation. When resources are scarce, we pull back and put all of our energy into self-preservation. We isolate ourselves and shut out others. As the story of stone soup reveals, in doing so, we often deprive ourselves and everyone else of a feast. This metaphor plays out beyond the realm of food. We hoard ideas, love, and energy, thinking we will be richer if we keep to them to ourselves, when in truth we make the world, and ourselves, poorer whenever we greedily stockpile our reserves. The traveler was able to see that the villagers were holding back, and he had the genius to draw them out and inspire them to give, thus creating a spread that none of them could have created alone.

Are you like one of the villagers, holding back? If you come forward and share your gifts, you will inspire others to do the same. The reward is a banquet that can nourish many.

How to Revamp Jewels

2011-09-22T08:53:00.002-04:00

Being the accessories lover that I am, I always tend to find random old goodies in my junk (jewelry) drawer that I haven't used for a while for whatever reason. As I was frantically searching for a lost earring last week, I came across these two pieces:

{Old pin with a missing gemstone!}

{Bridesmaid hair clip!}

I've probably had the pin (brooch) for several years, and perhaps worn it once, either to prom or homecoming or one of those tacky highschool dances I used to love wearing shiny things to! Since the piece is too shiny to wear on a daily basis I decided to see if by painting it I could get more use out of it.

{Nailpolish colors I chose for the pin}

{Here goes nothing!!!}

{Almost finished!}

{Pinned on a gifted coach scarf}

{Wrapped around my bag!}

For the hair clip, I used the same nailpolish colors above but instead of the cherry red, I decided to go with a turqouise as the 'pop' color. Since this is a piece that goes on my hair, I am not too worried about it coordinating exactly to my outfits.

{Started with the big jewels}

{Left some unpainted to still get some shine in my life}

{On the side of my hair}

Pita Pizzas

2011-09-21T07:29:00.001-04:00

If it were up to me, I would eat pizza on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I was not blessed with the fastest metabolism so I do have to watch what I eat and exercise from time to time. Since I can't indulge in your typical cheesy pizza from your neighborhood pizza parlor, this is my healthy, yet very satisfying alternative!

Ingredients:
{can vary, depends what toppings you like on your pizza - or what we have in the fridge, these tend to be my rotating favorites}

wheat pita bread
Ragu pizza sauce
tomato
onions
shredded mozzarella cheese
ham
spinach
pineapples

Melina's method:

Take a pita bread, spread ragu pizza sauce all over it, place slices of onions, tomatoes, ham and pineapples on top, then cover it with mozzarrella cheese. Because I am a spice queen, I sprinkle red pepper flakes and powdered onion before placing it on the top rack of our little toaster oven. Turn the heat to about 300 degrees and leave for 10-15 minutes (times vary from oven to oven so just wait till the cheese melts and the pita is to your desired crunch!)

If you like your pizza dough (in this case the pita bread) extra toasty, you could also put all the toppings and sauce in first for about 10 minutes, then put the cheese for another 5-10, this tends to cook the vegetables more thoroughly and gives your pita an extra crunch. Bon Appetit!

Gunmetal Glitter

2011-09-20T07:38:00.000-04:00

I love Monday nights like yesterday's when the afternoon consists of manicures & pedicures, a nice big glass of red wine, endless amounts of snuggles with Lucas and an unexpected new favorite nail trend, a dark color brought to life with a coat of glitter. I decided to just put the glitter coat on my pinkie to change from the usual ring finger trend, but I like how the glitter looks so much I may apply a coat to all fingers! There is something refreshing about getting your hands and feet done, I always feel so clean afterwards! It doesn't matter if you skip a shower when you have a brand new mani-pedi, in fact its forgiven and encouraged in my book! just kidding. (no I'm not) (yes I am).

I found these colors in my nail polish drawer. I'm pretty sure the glitter was there from last year's Halloween costume.

Cheers!

Hair Gems

2011-09-19T07:54:00.000-04:00

The humidity that usually drenches Miami was surprisingly low this weekend...for a few seconds you could almost smell the fall air. I wore a variation of this outfit (shorts & wedges) pretty much the entire time. Since Lucas is at that stage where he wants to pull everything within arms reach {including my earrings and necklaces} I decided to wear jewelry on my hair instead. I am loving this current hair trend.

ASOS $14.64

Anthropologie $32

Lucas likes hair trends too!

Friday Dance!

2011-09-16T08:30:00.001-04:00

You know those days you wake up feeling a little off? Well, that is me today; not necessarily a bad day but just not 100% myself. For starters, I accidentally put facewash in my left eye last night, and man, was that painful. I woke up this morning with one completely closed, crusty red eye. Add that to a sleep deprived mother of a 7 month old and it is not a pretty look! My lack of sleep last night is not entirely Lucas' fault, I did go out to dinner with some of my favorite ladies and (like always) ended up staying a little later than I should've catching up.

Here is my week in review:

My little pimp - sorry Linds & Ash, I cut you off :(

Lessons taught by a 7 month old: Don't cry over spilt milk :)

We really need to buy Lucas new pj's LOL ... peek a boo!

My boy is ready for Saturday's game!!! Lets Go NOLES!!!

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Homemade or Store Bought?

2011-09-15T09:15:00.001-04:00

Around the 4 month mark many parents are faced with the decision of either buying the little cute jars of pureed fruits, veggies, and meats or making it themselves. For me, the decision was an easy one. Although I am not a huge fan of the cooking scene (I am getting better and making an appearance more often!), I couldn't bring myself to feed my little Lukey something which I didn't know 100% what it consisted of. Something about the shelf life and the fact that some of the baby foods in Publix didn't expire in over a year, made me very uneasy...a banana won't last longer than 4 days in my house without going bad, but somehow manages to last over a year in a cute jar?!

I was a little apprehensive at first when I bought the baby bullet at bed bath and beyond (don't forget your 20% off coupons!)..

was I really going to make all his food...

where would I ever find the time...

how will I ever know what to make him ...

But once I got home and started going through the friendly pamphlet, it all made sense. And it has been surprisingly easy. It is a little time consuming, I must say, since you have to boil the vegetables first etc, but if you manage your time properly, it can be done, and the end result is very rewarding!

There are times when convenience rules and I've had to feed Lucas store bought jars, (when we went on a 5 day cruise) and I'm ok with that, since we were on vacation. I don't want to be an extremist either..find a balance that works for you! The important thing is to feed the baby healthy and teach him proper eating habits!

This is a typical Lucas breakfast (makes about three 2.5 ounce jars)

Fresh Blueberries & Chopped Apples (no skin)

I love the happy faces on the bullet! LOL

And away we go!!!

These are the little jars with date dials to remember when the fruit was made (not expired).
Good for about 4 days in fridge.

THANKS MOM!!!

Current Trends I Adore

2011-09-14T08:30:00.000-04:00

In honor of New York Fashion Week, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite trends happening this season.

The Cutout Dress:

And my very own version of the cutout dress (almost 5 months ago, I might add - ahem. ahead on this fashion trend. lol):

I am aware of my side bulge, to my defense I had just given birth 3 months prior AND I'm sitting down :p

Navy & White :

My own (more casual) version:

The Polka-Dots:

My version (with Mr. Grumps):

Feather Extensions:

My very own feathers bought from etsy and installed by yours truly:

I can't wait to incorporate many more fashion trends into my own wardrobe in the coming months!

Happy Hump Day!

5 Things That Make me Smile

2011-09-13T08:14:00.000-04:00

1. I get sweet, random messages from people about my blog and they make me smile. Thank you. I am always humbled by your interests in my thoughts and love the positive feedback!

2. Coming home to this little person always brings a smile to my face especially when he makes these funny faces!!!

Colombian mother + Bajan Father = ColomBajan!

3. My organizational skills with my ever growing jewelry collection! It is so much easier to find stuff in the morning and it sure beats having to unknot all the necklaces that were once thrown in a drawer each time I want to wear one!

Tie Rack from Home Depot used to hang necklaces inside my closet.

The 'before' picture: bracelets & bangles thrown all over the place.

The 'after' picture: with the help of a drawer divider & a shoebox :)

4. My husband's solution to Lucas' pajama problems!

Baby too long for footed pj's? Just cut the feet part and put on socks!!!

5. Two words: InstaPhoto App!!! Who needs an iphone with instagram when you could have a Blackberry and Instaphoto??!!! For a split second I thought I wanted an Iphone again to instantly edit pics from my phone, but then I found this wonderful app (all pictures on this post were edited with it!) and it reconfirmed my commitment to Blackberry. I am forever loyal, as long as you don't come up with an equivalent to Facetime, I barelyyy like speaking on the phone, now you want to SEE me as we speak?! No thanks!

What up cuz!

2011-09-12T08:50:00.000-04:00

The picture above pretty much sums up my entire weekend! Since my sis n law and her adorable baby boy were in town, we of course wanted pictures of the cousins. Unfortunately, when one monkey would look up the other would look down, when one would smile, the other would cry, when one peed the other pooped. I don't know how people have more than one baby! Seriously!!! These two are a handful. Literally. Although the cousins are only 4 months and a day apart, it's crazy that at this developmental stage in life, the 4 month difference is monumental. Lucas (7 months) is eating solids, sitting upright, completely rolling from side to side, and grabbing everything in sight. Jacob (3 months) is drinking 28-35 ounces of formula a day, a supported sitter, and at the most cuddly stage ever! He is still small enough where if you wanted to squish him for hours on end, he would have no choice but to allow it unlike his older cousin, which is too squirmy for nice hour long cuddles. The funny thing in life is that in a few years, this 4 month gap would be completely nonexistent.

Lucas teaching Jacob some moves.

Mr. Surprised & Mr. Serious

Meet the Godfather!

Red Monkey, Blue Monkey

Monkey in the middle!!!

Finally a picture where both monkeys are looking :)

Cousins from the beginning, friends till the end!

The man-I-cure d

2011-09-08T22:55:00.012-04:00

Sally Hansen wild child nail strip & commander in chic nail polish

Remember the other day when I posted here about my current obsession with commander in chic nail polish for fall etc!? Well, this is a quick and easy way to spice up your manicure a little bit by adding (my other obsession) sally hansen nail strips to the ring finger. You could also apply these nail strips to the full hand like I did in the pics below:

Sally Hansen Misbehaved nail strip & cutest baby ever!

Zoomed in here:

Sally Hansen Misbehaved

Sally Hansen Glitz Blitz

Or you could just do one finger (I tend to always chose the ring finger!) like this:

Essie French Affair with Sally Hansen Bling it on.

And again with wild child zebra but this time I used a deep blood red nail polish for other nails:

Sally Hansen Wild Child with my Love Child!

If you put them on carefully, they could last about 10-12 days. The pack sells for about $9.99 so its a nice, inexpensive, quick alternative to your typical salon manicure for us moms (or busy mama's!) that are always on the run. Have a great weekend!

The Miracle of Make-up!

2011-09-08T07:59:00.004-04:00

I keep hearing that bronzers are out this fall season and 'matte makeup' is going to be huge in the coming months. Personally, I still think there's nothing prettier, and fresher than a sunkissed, dewy, bronzed face to livin up your skin and give you the radiant glow after a long day's work. If you've ever dealt with a teething 7 month old, you know all too well how concealer seems to be your only friend in the mornings to hide (or try to atleast) the awful bags under your sleepless eyes.

After work yesterday we went to dinner to welcome the arrival of my sis in law and her adorable little son, Jacob and here are the steps that helped me acheive a somewhat presentable face to not scare my little nephew:

Apply a lighter toned concealer all over eye, under & lid

Rub a little foundation all over to match skin tone with lighter concealer..

I like to add a silver highlighter to eyelids and uppper cheeks to liven the eyes. Then add bronzer to cheek bones, apply eyeliner, & mascara. Heating an eyelash curler before curling will curl stubborn lashes (careful it doesn't get too hot, you may burn yourself!).

The heat makes the curl last longer on lashes.

My "I'm still tired but decent enough to be seen in public" look.

My face didn't scare my nephew!!

The cousins have matching shoes :)

Lucas was jealous of Jacob's hair!

Water cup is blocking my nephew :(

Make up I used to achieve this look:
1. Physicians Formula Concealer ( I use a lighter shade than my color to brighten eye)
2. Chanel Teint Innocent Foundation
3. MAC Bronzer Mineralize (in Gold Deposit)
4. Bobbi Brown eyeshadow/highlighter
5. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara
6. Revlon Orange Flip Lipstick

Be my guest

2011-09-07T08:40:00.001-04:00

Our guest room had remained practically unfinished since we moved in, almost 9 months ago. Part of that could be blamed on the fact that I gave birth exactly 7 months ago today (happy monthy my little Lukey!) and no matter what people tell you, ~~kids~~ babies really do take up alot of time!!! I seriously don't know what I did with my time pre-Lucas era. I must've just 'farted around' a lot and not really valued how much you could really accomplish in a baby free hour, heck, 30 minutes. Luckily I have been blessed with the world's greatest mother which is usually up for anything and more than willing to help me with whatever crazy project/idea I have in mind. This is our latest feat:

Frames from Target on a wall showcasing all our loved ones

This is our guest bathroom, with the world's most resilient bamboo plant!!
(Thanks to Gigi who gave this to us at our engagement party over 2 years ago!)

Lucas' first Labor Day!

2011-09-06T08:06:00.002-04:00

I live for long weekends. There is something special about Sunday afternoons when you don't have to work the following Monday..it's like you cheated the system and have all these free hours ahead of you to work on house projects and catch up on stuff (like Lucas' laundry which is ALOT for such a little person!) which you tend to put off during the normal work week. And the best thing about it is you could stay up as late as you want on Sunday and hit snooze on your alarm come Monday morning. I love hitting snooze. This Labor day weekend we attended 3 birthday parties on Saturday, went to Zoo Miami on Sunday (horrible idea not only because we were a tad bit hungover but also because of the rain) and worked on my current house project on Monday..stay tuned for the my post tomorrow on our guest room.

Till then have a happy ~~Monday~~ Tuesday and enjoy the short week!

Watch out NBA!

Pit stop at aunt's house on the way to 3rd bday of the day!!!
ps. Lucas is wearing skinny jeans!!!

Matching yellow polo's at Zoo Miami :)

Afternoon jog with dad. LOL

Current Obsession

2011-09-04T17:08:00.004-04:00

I have never worn a watch or cared for one for that matter, until recently when my husband (thee biggest watch person on planet earth) gave me one with the words "i love you mom, love lucas" engraved on the back of this Dolce & Gabbana boyfriend watch as my mother's day gift. I mean what better way to get a nonwatch person to wear a watch??? I had never cared for one because, since I love bracelets and all things accessory I didn't want to give up my bracelets for a boring watch! That is why this current trend is so fabulous!

Michael Kors gold and gunmetal oversized watch.

Commander in Chic muted nail polish to welcome the fall!

Melina - The pastry chef

2011-09-03T01:24:00.001-04:00

Those who know me well could attest to the fact that I am not a huge fan of the kitchen. So I, myself was shocked at how much I enjoyed making (and eating) Brigadeiro's last night. These bite size chocolate balls are so delicious and rich, it's almost impossible to eat just one! I love that you could be as creative as you want with the decor of this treat and I especially love the star confetti sprinkles. Although the recipe I used suggests to use chocolate sprinkles, I found they looked much cuter with an assortment of toppings.

I also used coconut shavings and powdered sugar on some just for fun!

Mix the can of condensed milk, 3 tablespoons of cocoa & 1 tablespoon of butter into a saucepan and stir your little heart away for 10 minutes...then you let cool for another 10-12 minutes, butter your hands,begin the rolling..and voilà

New Season

2011-09-02T09:59:00.002-04:00

As we approach the end of summer and the start of my favorite season, fall, I wanted to start a new blog to share with you the details of my life, my likes, and my son Lucas. This past year has been by far the craziest, yet the most rewarding. I was blessed with the privilege of becoming a 'mom'. I would like to document this new chapter in my life, day by day, and post any tips, ideas, findings I learn along the way that make life a little easier! No one said life with a baby would be easy, but to be honest, the hassles do not even compare to the sweet joy this little peice of meat brings into our lives! So welcome to my world....my life, my likes & my Lucas!