Sweet Dreams

I know I haven't been here lately, and once again I apologize ! But I have not been sleeping. And ironically enough the name of this post is Sweet Dreams, lol. The baby is still waking up at night to eat and my goodness it is catching up with me. At this point my eyes are suck in and my bags have bags.

I am getting off track here. Recently I was selected by Influenster to test out the Vicks Sweet Dreams Cool Mist Humidifier. Good golly I love this thing !! I have been using it for a week straight now and it replaced my old humidifier. My house is drafty so I have to keep the heat up around 70 which makes the air so dry, which means I need a cool mist humidifier every night. My old one made a lot of noise, well not a lot it just sounded like a fan, a little white noise if you will. Also the old one required a filter that required to be changed a lot which got expensive. With the Vicks humidifier there is no filter required, it's quiet ( although I like white noise but I run a fan as well, again off track ) it turns off by itself when the water tank is empty, and the feature I personally love the absolute most besides being filter free is you can use Vicks vapor pads in this bad boy. When you get sick and all yucky and stuffy there is a slot to slide a pad in and you get that comforting and familiar Vicks smell that opens up the good ol nasal passage. 

My daughters' favorite feature on this humidifier is the pictures it projects on the ceiling. There are three scenes to choose from; jungle, ocean or stars and lets say you chose stars every 30-60 seconds ( I never stopped to count how long ) the colors or scene changes in the theme ) it makes a nice night light. I only wish it had a timer on it. 

All in all I am in love. There is nothing to dislike. I fill up the water tank about every 2-3 days and there have been no leaks whatsoever. I was given this humidifier for free in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Revenge is sweet, or is it ?

I have been going through a lot of things recently one of them being is a divorce. I started going through all the emotions you hear about sadness, anger, guilt the whole nine yards. Then I thought I wanted revenge, I thought that I wanted him to feel the pain and heartache I had gone through. That must have been the anger part taking over my brain. I am glad that I stopped what I had started before anyone innocent got hurt, I am going to let karma handle it all. I am sure karma will do a much better job anyway ! 

Recently my aunt said some very wise words to me that stuck, I cannot remember them exactly ( yup that stuck that much ! ) but they were something like don't look behind you that is the past, do not look in front of you because it's the future but live in the present. You get the picture. I am done being sad about my relationship not working out and I am not going to dwell on the past and what went wrong. I will not be worrying about what is going to be happening tomorrow, next week or next year. I am going to live for today and in the moment. 

I am also starting to learn to let things go and not let little things bother me. If someone wants to live a certain way then so be it as long as it does not affect me or my kiddos who cares ! IF people do things to get attention, who cares...someone annoys me....who cares. I am letting a lot roll off my back now. I cannot keep stressing the way I have been, it's getting to be a bit much. These shoulders of mine are getting too heavy.

Ready for another Voxbox ?

I was lucky enough to get chosen for another Voxbox by Influenster, this one was the Wellness Voxbox.  There were lots of goodies and they were full sized, well most of them were. The best part it was all free all Influenster wants is my honest to goodness opinion.

I received the following:
Olay Active Botanicals Refreshing Gel Cleanser retails for $5.99
I really liked that cleanser, it removed my makeup nicely made my skin feel fantastic. I had my daughter 4 months ago and since then my skin has been oily, after using the cleanser it seemed to help calm that issue down a bit. A little bit of the cleanser goes a long way. Just be careful when using this, it hurts if you get it in your eye !

I also got Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer retails for $7.99
I really wish I could say I loved this or even liked this product but I didn't. To me it was messy. You use it after you get out of the shower before you dry off. Maybe I was using too much who knows. I also feel that it is a bit greasy and sits on your skin. Just not a fan sadly.

Next up is Attitude Hair Care retails for $9.99
I received the Color Protective shampoo and a small sample of their dish soap. I will start with the shampoo: It is made without any cancer causing chemicals which is wonderful so the price tag is low in my opinion. I am not thrilled about the scent but it does it's job. My hair feels clean, it has nice bounce to it and it's not dull looking. Will I buy this after I am done the bottle, yes I will.
I mentioned I received a sample of Attitude dish soap...OH my ...I love this stuff !! It cleaned grease off a pan with ease, the scent was pleasant and it bubbled up nicely. It did not make my hands dry either. I will be hunting this dish soap down for sure.

Now up is Colgate Enamel Health Mouthwash retails for $2.99
I am already a fan of Colgate, I think their products are well priced and work well. I like this mouthwash because of the taste, it is not too harsh tasting like certain other brands ( you know which I am talking about, right ?? ) I was also informed that my enamel is wearing down so I need all the help I can get.

Last but not least I got a packet of Urgent Ache and Pain Relief to go retails for $1.39
This is a great product for on the go, perfect to keep in your purse, wallet, diaper bag..you get the picture. You do not need water in order to take this since it's not a pill it's a powder which dissolves quickly. It is aspirin with a shot of caffeine, that is perfect for headaches. It worked quickly for me.

I was really happy with this box, and enjoyed reviewing it. I hope to get to review more boxes soon !

The Bella Vox Box

I received this box literally the day before I went in for my induction from Influenster, needless to say this review is well past it's due date (no pun intended) .  I got all these items for free in exchange for my honest to goodness opinion. 

First up in this wonderful box was an EcoTools Complexion Collection Mattifying Finish Brush, it retails for $8.99. I do love this brush and you cannot go wrong for the price, it feels and performs like a high end brush. I use it to touch up those pesky dark circles from lack of sleep now a days !

I got Dove dark chocolate covered blueberries these yummy delights range from $1.88-2.69. These are good, very good. And you know what they say dark chocolate is good for your heart and it contains fruit so snack away my friends. My three year old also liked these, she likes anything that involves both blueberries and chocolate.

Next up Not Your Mother's Déjà Vu Do Style Extender (travel size) $9.00 for a full size bottle

I took this with me to the hospital when I had the baby. This product smells so good, it's apple and berry scented. It's meant to be used as a style primer and extender, I used it to tame frizzy bed head. I do plan in using it once again when I straighten my hair. 

I got Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascara by Kate Moss, it retails for $6.99. The mascara wand is a funky shape that's what gave my lashes all it's volume. It didn't smudge or clump. I was quite happy with the performance and I am normally pretty fussy when it comes to mascara. I hate spider lashes and clumps  neither happened. Good job Kate Moss !

Also by Kate Moss I received Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick, it retails for $5.49. The color was not for me by any means, it made me look paler but I will still post the picture. The lipstick definetly had staying power, I tried wiping it off when I saw what it looked like on me and it would not budge, lol. The lipstick was not drying and didn't feel heavy or sticky. I would buy this but in a different color. 

Lastly for actual products I got Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs, it retails for $13.99. This lotion went on easy enough but it just was not for me only because it's time consuming, least to a mom if two little ones it is. 

I received a coupon code for Club W wine which was buy two bottles receive one free. The bottles start at $13.00. I have not tried their wines so I cannot tell you what I think of them or how their service is. 

That is all I got in my Bella Vox Box from Influenster. I really enjoyed these products and cannot wait till my next box ! 

The phone call

I know it's been awhile since my last post, almost three months ! But as you know I had my baby, and I knew it was going to be a lot of work having two little ones but had NO idea it would be this hard. I should probably mention I am parenting alone. There is no "me" time which in turn means no time for writing, I even missed two review deadlines. I will still write those reviews because I did use the products and still have opinions on them.

The new baby has hit so many speed bumps so far in the road of life; 21 days in NICU then a rough time with feeds still to this day at times, we had a really big scare one day where she was having trouble breathing, I almost called 911 but she settled down and was alright. It happened again the next morning and I ended up bringing her into the ER. I dislike the ER I prefer her regular doctor but this was a true emergency, turns out she was badly congested and felt like she couldn't breathe which made her panic then of course I panicked... Anyone would have her, eyes were bugging out of her head ! Anywho she has since been diagnosed with thrush, reflux, had a bout of dermatitis (acne)  and most recently had a chemical like burn from baby oil on the back of her head/ neck area. See why this one keeps me busy then throw in a rambunctious three year old. And I stay on top of my housework, laundry and I cook of course.  I know some people will say why not relax with the house, I just can't stand to see a sinkful of dishes or anything like that. You just never know when someone will drop by and I would be utterly embarrassed if my house were a mess. 

Even with all of this craziness, sleepless nights, etc I wouldn't change it. Yesterday I got "the call" telling me when my surgery is to get my tubes tied, ever since I have been so down. This is my last baby and I knew this from the get go, I am done having babies; this last one was dangerous to my health who knows what will happen if I were to get pregnant again down the line. Besides I am getting older and it's expensive. But I am still sad, this is permanent, they are removing my tubes not tying them. 

I am even having a hard time parting with Baby Brooklyn's newborn clothing which she is outgrowing. I am donating those to the NICU unit that she stayed in. They dress the babies in donated clothing if the parents do not bring anything in or all their clothes from home are soiled.

I feel like I get ripped off of her newborn days when she was in NICU, I didn't even get pictures from the hospital when she went home, the photographer didn't come in there. Maybe I am just feeling like this because she is getting bigger right before my eyes and I KNOW she is my last.

I was blessed with three beautiful girls and will always be grateful for that. Just want this blah feeling from "the call" to go  away, surgery is in two weeks.... Wish me luck ! Till then I and after that I will live in the moment and cherish my sweet baby because she is after all my last. 

Induction Day has happened

I have so many thoughts and emotions running through my mind at the moment I have no idea where to begin or even how to sort them, so let's start at the beginning.

On April 24th I had my usual monthly ultrasound with the specialist from Tufts, baby looked great however my vision and headache sptons were getting worse and worse as the weeks were going by from the preeclampsia. The Dr covering that day from Tufts called upstairs to where my OB was to discuss my case where they decided that the longest they could keep me pregnant was 36 weeks either as a patient at Tufts where they could monitor me to make sure I didn't have a stroke or seizure or at home. I had an appointment with my OB right after said ultrasound, my Dr was not comfortable keeping me pregnant that much longer ( I was 33 weeks and 3 days ) his plan was to see me that following Monday if things didn't suddenly change than an induction would take place on the day I turned 34 weeks which was Wed the 29th. Of course Monday rolled around with no changes, headache was still present along with the spots and I was dizzy. My blood pressure was nice and high too along with swelling of my legs.. It was on. 

Wenesday morning came and my favorite nurse walked me to labor and delivery, I was nervous. First things first getting the awful IV in place three tries later it was in, next on the agenda.... Magnesium. If you ever experienced this stuff you know how awful it is, if you haven't then let's say it's not the best feeling in the world. At this point my OB came to check on me and give me a run down on the game plan; some pill on my cervix, foley bulb, pitocin and we will see where the whole water breaking thing comes into play. The pill insertion, no big deal. The foley bulb pfft never want to see a latex balloon again thanks ! It blew up twice and it hurt, thankfully when the nurse came to pull it the first time it came out. 

Pain management got brought up since contractions were starting, I was scared of getting an epidural because of a bad  experience at a different hospital. After speaking to my OB whom I trust I went ahead with it... Thank goodness ! My OB was aggressive with the pitocen, he upped it every 30 min and had a tough time breaking my water. 

After all this was done I felt that pressure, and my daughter was born on April 30th at 4:15am. Since she was 6 weeks early she has been in Special Care aka NICU.

It was difficult leaving her at the hospital while I left. And it's hard every day splitting up my time. It's also hard on my mother who watches my almost three year old do I can go to the hospital. I haven't even slept at my house since going into the hospital, I feel better being closer. Hopefully soon she can come home. She is doing well though, breathing on her and regulating her body temp it's just her eating or lack of that's keeping her there. The nurses reassure me that it's normal and she will get it one day. For now I go up and cuddle for a couple hours a day.

Having my pie and eating it too !

Once again www.bzzagent.com sent me a yummy coupon, this time  to try a Mrs Smith's pie for free. I went with cherry with the original flaky crust. I really intended it to be for the family for Easter as one of the desserts, no really. However knowing the pie was in the freezer and knowing I had whipping cream in the fridge just weighed heavily on my taste buds. Give me a break I am pregnant !!

It was easy to prepare, just pre-heat your oven and pop the bad boy in till the crust is golden brown. If for some reason the edges cooked faster than the rest of the pie then cover the edges with foil ( I really should have done that but meh ) While the pie was going I whipped that cream into well whipped cream goodness. I was not very clever when it came to pairing it with something but it was still so good.

I did burn the edges of my crust ( I really should have covered the edges ) but it did not matter. It smelled so good. I covered our slices in cream and dug in. The cherries were nice and tart, the crust so buttery and good. It was nice and easy to make and could pass as home made. Next time I will try apple and share with the extended family ! 

Disclaimer: I did receive this product for free and I was not compensated for my opinions which are all mine. 

Excuses, Excuses

It's been over a month since my last post, how terrible is that ? My excuse...I am too tired and that is the truth ! I finally hit my third trimester and it's been nothing but a literal headache, seriously every day I have a headache some days are terrible such as today but I bit the bullet and here I am. 

My days are spent at the doctor's office it feels like, fine it's once or twice a week. Or in Labor and Delivery for a non stress test. I was there last week to receive steroid injections in case we need to deliver me at 32 weeks. We play it by ear week to week but at least I am steroid complete. I know this is my last pregnancy and should enjoy it but it's been so stressful ! And in all honesty I hate being pregnant the only good thing is feeling her move. But even at some of those times it hurts, girlfriend is practicing her ninja kicks or something. I am just not one of those women who enjoy being pregnant. 

On another note Happy Easter if you celebrate. My day was spent with family which was nice and Gina was excited to see the bunny came, she also got gifts/treats from family. I wish I could have enjoyed it even more but today was tough headache wise ( I know you could make a drinking game out of the number of times I write the word headache ) no matter how much Tylenol I took my head throbbed. I even took my prescribed meds ( which are OB approved while pregnant ) with no relief. If it were not a holiday I would have called the Dr or went to the ER for some relief it was that bad.  I did not want to put anyone out though I feel like I do it enough as it is. Hopefully tomorrow I will wake up pain free. It's crazy to think that next Easter I will have THREE daughters, it blows my mind. 

Any who, I promise to write more. I will not let the tiredness or headaches win. I do have a couple reviews up my sleeve for you so be on the look out for those !

She's having a baby

And by she I mean me ! It was a surprise to all including myself. I will be 23 weeks tomorrow and since I am at the "advanced maternal age" in my life I am considered high risk well that and high blood pressure. I see a specialist every 4 weeks who comes in from Tufts to give me an ultrasound.

This is the reason for me not writing as often as I was; my first trimester I was miserable with morning sickness and fatigue then I hit my second trimester and felt good for a week or two then BAM fatigue hit again this time the cause was Anemia. I know that when you are pregnant you are more likely to become anemic but I never had the issue with my other two. Iron pills it is then about two weeks ago I get a call from my Doctor informing me that I am developing preeclampsia already. Call in the the headaches and spots floating in my eyes. We are playing around with different blood pressure medicines, my Doctor whom I trust is confident he can keep the baby cooking while keeping me safe. We did talk about IV therapy but that means hospitalization, that would be a last resort for me. I do not like being in the hospital knowing my daughter would be wondering where I am, that would break my heart. I am not one to jump to the hospital for everything unless necessary. If it is necessary I do have a plan in place for care. I like being prepared for as many scenarios as possible !

I tell you it's tough being pregnant with a rambunctious 2.5 year old while keeping up with the house. I have had some help from a good friend and family but it's still tough. As much as I would like to sleep the day away I cannot and do what I have to do to be a good mom. This has been the most difficult so far; with my oldest I had the morning sickness ( in another country might I add while on vacation ! ) but other than that it was smooth sailing till the end where I was stuck on bed rest. With my middle one no sickness at all ! I just had to deal with the fact she had a two vessel cord, she was missing an artery in the umbilical cord. thank goodness she is alright and was born a decent size.

It feels good finally coming out about this pregnancy. Now I can talk to others about it, maybe another mom or mom to be is dealing with preeclampsia and want to connect. I was hesitant about writing about it at all because ....my husband and I are still separated. There I said it and I was a bit embarrassed but it happened and I am welcoming this little girl with welcome arms. Did I mention it's a girl ?!  God or some higher being wanted her here with me so that is where she will be. 

Its's too bad that I did not save everything from when my youngest was an infant, I held onto just a few things. Speaking of said child, she is not so open to welcoming a new baby into the house, as she puts it she " is the baby" ! She is getting there though. And on that note stay tuned for more on this adventure.  

Chocolate and Peanut Butter...enough said

Seriously that is the best combination, in my eyes at least. Influenster recently  sent me the Reeses Peanut Butter and chocolate spread to try and review. It was good timing too, I am FINALLY feeling better after months of morning sickness and sluggishness. 

Naturally the first thing I did was stick a spoon in it and gave it a good taste, it is so delicious plain on it's on. Then I headed to Pinterest to see what other peanut butter chocolate concoctions were being done. I had it spread on an english muffin with cut up banana, I used it on top of a waffle instead of syrup, I also spread it on fruit such as strawberries and of course bananas. And are you ready for it....I used it to make an ice cream sundae ( that was my favorite use for it ) It's good on graham crackers and next time I make bacon I am going to dip it in this spread. 

This is a fantastic spread and I highly recommend you seek it out especially if you love the chocolate and peanut butter combo ! 

Home made goodies made in NY !

I was recently sent some amazing hand made soap and roll on perfume. I was super excited to receive them and now review them. And the sweet woman named Minnie who is the woman behind it all is generous enough to give you, my readers 50% any regular priced item using the promo code RAMBLING ! 

With that being said I was sent soap chips in the "Satin Berries" scent. I adore the scent it was sweet and not over powering. The chips are a great size for showering and I feel like I am not wasting soap, for some reason I feel like cutting off smaller pieces of a bar of soap makes it last longer ! The soap did not dry out my skin nor did it make it feel tight like some soaps can do to you. My toddler liked the chips, I gave her one to play with in the tub and she had a blast with it, perfect size for her ! I highly recommend the soap chips. 

In addition to the soap chips I was sent roll on perfume in " Sage Dream ". I like that it is in roller ball form, so easy to apply and a great size for your purse. I applied this scent in the morning and it stayed strong all day long. As for the scent itself it was quite calming and light, my nose is really sensitive at the moment and was a little iffy about wearing any kind of perfume ! I cannot tell you how much I adore the scent and wish I could spray some on your pulse points through the computer so you can sniff for yourself. 

I love the fact that there is an actual person behind the company and making these things by hand and made right in New York. If you are looking for quality products which include body butter, lip and body scrubs as well as soap subscription boxes in addition to the soap chips and perfume go check out www.nycmetrogirl.com and do not forget the 50% any regular priced item just use promo code RAMBLING