Nail Tips for the Lazy

Pre-Olivia, I loved painting my nails. 

Post Olivia, I only wash my hair every third day, so who has time for nails? #atleastIshower

Well, I have found two tricks for any mom. (I have the worst nails, please don't judge. This isn't some style blog - it's just for the lazy A).

1. Sally Hansen Insta Dry

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I found this stuff on Olivia's first birthday. We had the blush and gold theme, and when grabbing a last minute item from the grocery store, saw gold "insta dry" nail polish. Not believing in it - I mean, come on, how many have sworn they dry in 60 seconds, and failed? - I painted one nail in the store (sorry if that's immoral) and before I could finish in the aisle, that nail was dry. One coat. 60 seconds. The label was true. I immediately grabbed a few more colors. 

I have a problem with nail polish drying. Is it just me? I have friends who wait five minutes in the nail salon and are on with their lives. I legit can't touch anything for 2 hours, and then have to go to bed because I'll screw it up. This one dries. In 60 seconds.

And it only takes one coat for a full shiny color. See?

It doesn't stay on long, maybe a day or two (I'm rough on nails) - but it's great for a quick color right before you head out, in the car on the way there, or in the parking lot before you walk in.

2. I swear I dont work for Sally Hansen. But, Sally, you're welcome to pay me. I'll send you my paypal.

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel.

10 days, no chips

Two coats of their "miracle gel" nailpolish and one coat of their "miracle gel" topcoat. It dries like normal nail polish, so I do have to wait. And then go to bed.

But it says it stays on 14 days. And it stays on 14 days. By day 10 I'm usually sick of it. It removes with normal nail polish. No tinfoil in acetone, or whatever other lengths you've gone to for gel polish. And it feels like normal nailpolish, not thick like gel.

This is it after 10 days. Again, awful nails, but no chips. #legit

I'm super impressed - and just had to share if you need some time back. 

Spoiled Rotten

I can't believe how quickly time goes by. And how quickly weekends go by. I really think all of corporate America should partake in 3 day weekends. If the whole country had 4 day weeks, I think we'd get the same amount of work done. And have more time for families. 

The weekends are flying by and I want to soak up all the time I can get with Olivia. 

Peekaboo

This morning, I got up before anyone in the house and finished laundry, meal planned, and went to the grocery store - so none of that would take up time with that precious baby.

I also splurged and got her a water table. My dad taught her how fun the sink is - so I just knew she'd love a water table.

AND - because she's spoiled rotten - a slide. The slide is her favorite on the playground at daycare. She's a wild and stubborn one at home, but she's really a pushover at daycare - so the boys takeover the slide. Now she has one that is all hers.

Her face absolutely lit up when she saw it. At Christmas I think she was still a little too little to understand 'presents.' She just played with stuff as if it was a playground, or someone else's house. Today, she looked at me like 'its all mine?' And then could not stop laughing she was so thrilled! 

And when you're sopping wet from the water table, it goes a little faster than you anticipate.

Don't worry. She burst out laughing after she landed. And Dan now knows where we keep the diaper covers.

Catching Up

It's been awhile! It's not for a lack of ideas - I could talk all day. Our life just seems a little busier.  I have had a little more work than normal. Olivia has had a little less naps than normal. And with daylight savings and warmer weather, we have been pushing Olivia's bed time later. 

So we've spent way more time with Olivia and way less time doing normal adult things, like making our bed. 

Anywhoo -

Our first day of warmer weather, Olivia insisted on dressing herself. 

She's clapping for herself. I'm too hot.

Seeing her little painted toes in her Sea Wees (adorable!) - it just hit me that she's no longer a baby. She seems like such a big kid now. Because of white sandals. Clearly.

On the second hot day, Olivia also insisted on dressing herself.

Snow suit. Blush mocs. All the rage.

She still likes her cozy coupe, but it was the gateway drug to more adventure. She insists on riding on top now. So Dan attached her kitchen chair to the top to make it more sturdy. Not sure this double decker has the latest and greatest safety features.

The next two days, I dressed her.

She spends most of picture time trying to put my lens cap back on for me.

And today she showed me that she's a teenager.

I love this little girl more and more every day. And every day she is showing us her personality. I love how she is who she is regardless of things around her. She is such our little girly girl - but one who's always up for an adventure. 

She loves all things pink, baby dolls, bows, bracelets, shoes and purses. She found a bathing suit I bought her for summer, threw the straps over her shoulder, wore it around as a purse, kept putting things in it, and getting frustrated as they fell out the leg hole. 

She's shy with people she doesn't know really well - but a wild child at home with us. She loves to be tickled, thrown, chased, and flung around. She stomp-runs (toddler style) so fast that her cheeks shake, yelling "uhhhuhhhuhhhhuhhhh."

The doctor got a taste of not-shy Olivia today as she was running around, opening the door and darting down the hallway, climbing chairs, emptying my purse - she kept saying "she is wild - that's the busiest toddler I have ever seen - how do you possibly have the energy to keep up with her - I'm tired just watching you two." That's our baby. Never slows down unless she's in her bed. That's who she is and I wouldn't have it any other way.

It Snowed

It snowed (barely). They predicted 6-8 inches. We got about an inch. But we still put on snow suits, made snow balls, and enjoyed all 3 hours it was there.

Fist pumping for snow!

Mo Mo Champs

The other day, I was holding Olivia, and she started reaching for something on the kitchen counter super enthusiastically (read: crying and wailing for whatever it was).

We had made chocolate chip cookies - and then put them in tupperwear with a red lid. I didn't think she knew what was inside - but I know this girl has an eye for dessert. And a memory like a steel trap.

(Dan brought home Dunkin Donuts this weekend - and the only other time she's had them was months ago when we walked there. She took one look at the box and started jumping up and down "MMM" "YUM!" "Mmm yum!")

I set her on the counter to see if it really was those cookies she wanted - I figured we'd give her one before her bath. 

She reaches past the cookies grabs my empty champagne glass and goes "mo mo" (more more). I started laughing that all of this wailing was about champagne. She's louder "MO MO MO MO!"

So I set her down on the floor with the glass. She runs up to the fridge banging on it. At this point, I call Dan in. She's a genius.

I open the fridge for her, she grabs the bottle of champagne (not any other bottle) hands me the glass and the bottle and says "mo mo." 

I poured myself another glass and she ran back to the living room to continue playing.

Dan and I were in shock for a minute. Did our daugther just freak out over the fact that it was Friday night and my champagne class was empty? And did she just peer pressure me into drinking another?

Like - 'it's Friday, mom. You dealt with me and work all week. Refill your glass.'

She is definitely my daughter.

Super Quick and Healthy Toddler Breakfast Idea #6

This is one is the most simple - and although not a full breakfast, often looked over.

Berries

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It doesn't take that long to cut up fruit, but it can make or break a quick morning. Then you have to wash the knife and the cutting board. (And sometimes you go to put the cutting board in the dishwasher and you realize it's clean, and you hope that no one noticed because whoever realizes its clean is supposed to unload it. Just us?)

We always have berries on hand - Olivia's favorite are raspberries and blue berries. And we'll add them to her plate in the morning. No cutting, just a quick rinse and her microwaved eggs make a well rounded breakfast.

Also - for some of those recipes that call for adding fruit - just use berries instead. Throw some into yogurt, oatmeal, pancakes or muffins. You skip the entire step of cutting up the fruit. 

Seems simple, but it can save quite a bit of valuable minutes.

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Idea #6

A few things about us

I had some pictures that don't really fit into a specific blog post, so I thought I'd share a few things about us.

1. We take really good family photos. 

Like, really good ones.

Those are the only two week took from dinner the other night, and I'm not sure they could get any better.

2. We wake up looking perfect.

3. We have an incredible sense of style.

4. We eat really healthy breakfasts.

And snacks.

5. We can go a little overboard when it comes to road safety.

6. We nap so well.

7. Our house is always spotless.

8. And, we are never sarcastic.

Super Quick and Healthy Toddler Breakfast Idea #5

Hands Free Yogurt

By hands free, I mean your hands. You don't have to sit there spooning yogurt when you could be doing more important things, like drinking coffee.

You've seen Gogurt - and we totally don't judge, but it's just too much sugar for Olivia. Chicka goes crazy on too much sugar. 

So I make my own.

1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh fruit
1/2 cup fresh spinach
Optional: Honey or Maple Syrup

Blend all ingredients in the blender. Add more or less milk depending on how thick your child likes it. Don't worry about the spinach, they'll never know it's in there. 

Funnel the yogurt mixture into reusable pouches. We like little green pouches. Mix this up on Sunday and you have some mama-hands free yogurt all week.

A few notes:

• You can sub the fresh fruit for a baby food fruit puree. Skip the milk if you do, because the puree will water it down.

• You can use some fruit jam. It adds a lot more sugar, but you are still getting the added protein from greek yogurt, and avoiding whatever else could be in gogurt. 

• Chobani makes strawberry and vanilla flavors in a large tub. You can divide this among reusables pouches, using milk to water it down if you want. Still much cheaper than purchasing greek yogurt pouches.

• Pineapple. Pineapple and yogurt don't mix well. I'm not a scientist but some chemical in one mixes with a chemical in another and it tastes like nail polish remover after about an hour. Feel free to mix them together and eat it right away. But please don't serve this a day later. Your child will feel like she's playing roulette with the reusable pouches from now on.

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