We have holidays coming which also means lots of SALES approaching! I wanted to share some of my current beauty faves, more specifically my skin and makeup go to products since this will be a great time to purchase!

I'll start in order of application...skin care!
I use 3 Monat skin care products:
Rewind Age Control Nector serum to help smooth fine lines
Eye smooth nourishing cream to fight eye discoloration and tighten skin
Be balanced lightweight moisturizer which goes on like a cooling gel to refresh and moisturize skin
Then I use Good Molecules moisturizing primer. My skin is combo, so this gets in some extra moisture without making me oily and helps my makeup last all day.

So once this is all set, I have made the switch to a one compact palette that holds all of my makeup except mascara. Seint {previously Maskcara Beauty} is my new holy grail. It's concealer, contour, blush, highlight, eye liner, eye shadows, everything you need, all in one!! They're magnetic tins so it conveniently fits in one compact and travels easily. The makeup doubles as well. I use the contour to fill in my brows, the blushes as lip colors, it's seriously everything you need. And no, I'm not a distributor, but I know a good one if you want more info! There is also a setting powder, but I haven't tried it yet! My usual routine is Laura Mercier translucent powder set with a damp beauty sponge. This is a full proof no crease method. Oh and the beautiful rose gold double end makeup brushes? Also Seint. 

To top everything off, I use Nyx matte setting spray. This does not make me matte dry. It's a perfect finish that helps blend everything together and stay in place. Benefit 24 hour brow setter combs my brow hairs {once upon a time I used hairspray before brow gels were a thing}. Finally, I clean my brushes off with IT cosmetics brush cleaner. It's an instant clean and dry concoction. 

Sharing my links here! Happy Shopping! :)
LIKEtoKNOW.IT 
SHOP SKINCARE 

Message me for SEINT makeup information!

1. DRY SHAMPOO
It's no secret washing your hair doesn't come easy with a newborn lol. I didn't even like washing my hair before I had kids! So a dry shampoo is a must for me! I live by Monat's dry shampoo. When I first started using it, it would leave my hair flakey by the end of the day and just didn't seem to work for me, but the bottle is now silver. I'm honestly not sure if it's been reformulated, but I am absolutely LOVING it. It works so well for me. So if you've tried it in the past and didn't like it, I recommend giving it another shot!

​2. COFFEE MUG OR TUMBLER
Coffee is a necessity when I'm waking at least 1-2 times in the middle of every night, so at least make it look CUTE and enjoy! Even if you don't drink coffee, fill it with your H2O or a relaxing tea. I've found plenty at Target and Homegoods for under $5.

3. MOMIFORM
I call it a momiform anyway. A basic tee that you can throw on, along with your workout pants. You can be comfy, but still look decent enough to go outside without looking like the crazy neighbor. I love these TEES from Target and also found these amazing VS BIKER SHORTS. They have a pocket and everything! THESE are my favorite high rise leggings.

​4. EYE CREAM
Long days and nights, call for tired, sleepy, dark circle under eyes. I swear by Monat's eye cream. It's the first cream that has helped lift my dark circles and firm my skin. No SERIOUSLY. I've tried plenty of creams who say this, but I've never experienced it until now. Plus, who does love all natural, vegan products? You can always catch Monat flash sales too. There is at least 1/week always being different products or enroll as a VIP customer to get 15% off or a market partner for 30% off!

5. DIAPER CADDY
We have a 2 story house so having a diaper caddy stocked with the obvious diapers, wipes, and changing pad really helps! I also add some extras in it such as a onesie and nose frieda, with things for me like snacks, a hair tie, and water. If you have a changing station, you can do this there too, but I like the caddy can go anywhere I do.

6. CAMERA
May it be your cell phone or a nice, real camera, who doesn't want pictures all day?! I always find when I leave my phone behind, the baby does something cute or we get her dressed for the day. Keep something with you to snap a quick photo. You'll thank yourself later. I do have a Nikon as well as my phone that was a gift from my husband around 6-7 years ago. I don't have to worry about pixels or lighting with it, so consider investing in something nice. It will last and be worth the money. Photos become PRICELESS!

​7. PACK N PLAY/SWING
It doesn't have to be both. It doesn't even have to be either of these. Just get yourself something MOBILE where you can put the baby down! Boppy makes a lounger that I will sometimes put on my counter while I'm washing the dishes (baby isn't mobile yet, so make sure it's safe for you). Sometimes I'll put her down in the swing or sometimes I put together the pack n play. We're fortunate to have options to rotate, but at least one will help!

8. BABY WRAP CARRIER
If you can't put the baby down or if you're going out and the baby hates the car seat, this can be LIFE SAVING. I know ours was for both Roman and Aria. Roman loved the baby K'Tan and Aria has done well in KeaBabies. I also have an Ergo 360 Roman used and plan to use with Aria. This is the easiest way for me to go on walks, visit parks, grocery shop, and be hands free to chase my toddler. Babies love to face outward.

9. AMAZON PRIME/TARGET SHIPT
Again, it doesn't have to be both or either of these, but being part of a program that has versatile products and fast delivery is everything for me. I can't always get out. Not to mention in Covid times, sometimes I don't want to pack up my newborn and toddler, wear a mask, and go to a store. So having quick home delivery is a game CHANGER. Props to all of the moms and dads who do without these services.

​10. PLANNER
Okay, this is definitely not a must have, but it is nice to have. Moms have a million and one things going through their brains at all times. So when you can write down the bills not on auto pay, the 10 doctors appointments you will go to, or work due dates, this can be important. Plus, they're PRETTY. You can have fun with this one! I love Happy Planner, but there are so many different and affordable options! Utilize what you have too! Calendars are built into smart phones. I also write everything in my "notes".

We all know I had my heart set on a 4th of July birthday (that I thought was actually going to happen), but having a LUCKY 7/7 birthday is pretty cool too.

So let me start off by telling you laboring during Covid can be an EXTREMELY difficult and lonely experience. My husband did everything he could to be with me and support me as much as possible, but he wasn't actually allowed into the hospital with me until I was admitted.

I've had Braxton Hicks since about half way through my pregnancy, but Thursday, July 2nd at 10pm, I started having some closer together from 30 minutes apart all the way down to 6 minutes, but they were never consistent. I did this for 24 hours. Friday, July 3rd at 10pm, instead of going to the hospital like I thought I would be doing for my 4th of July baby, the contractions completely stopped. 

So I got to spend the 4th with Roman instead.

Sunday, July 5th, I started feeling contractions again. Nothing consistent, maybe one every other hour or so. I drank raspberry leaf tea. I'm not sure if that's what actually did it, but after finishing it, my contractions came down to about 30 minutes apart. They didn't hurt, and I was so afraid of false alarming everyone again, I didn't tell anyone. Not even my husband. I was still able to sleep, so I didn't worry about timing them. I just slept.

I woke up on Monday, July 6th, and they hadn't stopped, so I got up at 6am to shower and get ready. IN MY MIND, this was the 2nd baby. Everyone says labor gets faster. I thought I would be admitted in the hospital by noon, and I could let my family know then.

I had contractions A L L  D A Y  L O N G. The closest they got was 4-5 minutes apart, so after an hour of this, I went to the hospital. It was around 10pm. I remembered leaving the house to deliver Roman, I left in tears of pain, and I wasn't feeling this way yet, so when I got to the hospital I walked outside until I was brave enough to go in and get checked. My eyes watered having to walk into the hospital by myself. My husband waited for me in the car.

When I got to triage, I was only 3cm dilated and my contractions had slowed down to 8 minutes apart. Every time I rested, my contractions slowed down. The midwife said I needed to be at 6cm in order to be admitted. SHOCKER since I was only 4cm when I was admitted with Roman. So I left the hospital to labor at home. I walked nonstop.

Tuesday, July 7th 12:30am, I had very painful contractions that got pretty difficult to walk through. I just focused on my breathing. Some were 1-2 minutes apart. I let them go on for an hour before we drove back to the hospital. Again, my contractions slowed in the car. I walked outside the hospital. At about 2am, I finally went back in. I was checked by the same nurse, and was only at 4cm. The midwife said I could try walking there if I wanted to. SO I DID. By myself. For an hour. In an empty hallway. Wearing a face mask. Listening to my headphones. Breathing through contractions. They were down to 4 minutes, and I felt so EXHAUSTED. I sat down, and they slowed to 10 minutes apart resting. I was released again at 5:15am. We went home, and I crawled into bed.

At 8am, I woke up in pain. The contractions were too close for me to keep track of, 1 minute, maybe 2 minutes apart. After 5 of them, I needed to go back. I got up, but couldn't walk. My husband had to help me walk to the bathroom and brush my teeth. Then we were off. The nurse that was outside insisted on taking me in on a wheel chair. I really didn't want to. When I got upstairs there was a new hospital staff. I explained I had been there twice already and was sent to a room to be checked again. I had a really bad contraction in the hallway. I didn't know at the time, but it was a midwife who stopped to help me breathe through it. She told the nurse to admit me if I was anything more than 4. I was FINALLY 6cm.

By then, it was around 9:30am. I was immediately tested for Covid. It was negative, and I still  had to wear a mask the whole time. My husband was finally called up. By the time he got in, I had WALKED to the delivery room. My contractions never really regulated. They were still about 8-10 minutes apart resting.

Around 1:30pm, I started feeling a pain in my abdomen. I had an epidural, so I felt pressure the whole time, but now I was feeling a pain. I even asked the nurse to move the baby's heart monitor because that was the exact spot where it was hurting. After about 30 minutes of that pain, the nurse decided to check me. There were 2 midwives that had just happened to walk in at that exact moment. The nurse lifted the sheets, and their jaws just about hit the floor. They said IT WAS TIME. I didn't have much time to think. I just heard they could see her forehead! I didn't think I had an urge to push before this. I just knew I felt a lot of pressure during my contractions, but I was most distracted by the pain I was feeling in my abdomen. They instantly raised my bed, laid me back, and said push. I pushed twice and nothing. So I took a deep BREATH, thought to myself "you know how to do this," pushed a third time, and she was out. She practically fell out. I immediately saw her and all I wanted to do was kiss her, but I had a stupid mask on. Then I was grateful just to have her, hold her on my chest and in my arms.
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Aria Ryann Munoz was born on July 7th, 2020, at 2:02pm, weighing 8lbs 13oz and 21 inches long. She came 3 days early and is loved so much by Dad, Mom, and big brother Roman.

L O V E at FIRST SIGHT
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Target: Crib, Dresser, Mirror, Lamp, Hamper
Wayfair: Rug {8x10}, Curtains 
OlliElla: Changing Basket & Insert
Amazon: Wooden Peg Shelf, Accordion Coat Rack Hanger

I received three gifts for Mother's Day this year: a mountain bike, a MacBook Pro, and a Mother's Day mini photo session. The last is by far my FAVORITE! Sorry honey lol! He really loves the mountain bike, but at 38 weeks pregnant, it’s just not working for me right now.

​So this entire 'Stay at Home' order has just been a lot of emotion and unknown, especially when it first started in March. I never believed it would AFFECT my pregnancy so much. I thought it would be over after a few weeks. Then, it kept getting extended. I didn't think we would get to have a newborn photo session, let alone a maternity session. 

​Luckily, it did start to lift and businesses were able to resume (with restrictions), but I found Erica Noelle Photography who posted about her Mother's Day mini sessions! I'm 35 weeks pregnant in these photos and Roman is 22 months. What better way to capture MEMORIES?! Plus, it was only 30 minutes which was perfect for the attention span of a toddler who just wants to play in dirt. We bribed him with lots of lucky charm marshmallows!

​I LOVE these photos so much, and the estate was so beautiful. I just wanted to share pretty much all of them!

LINKS: 
Photography: Erica Jones {Erica Noelle Photography}
Dress: Amazon
Sandals: Tory Burch {Miller Sandals}
Men's Dress Shirt: Amazon
Toddler Dress Shirt: The Children's Place {Amazon}

Camping is one of our favorite things to do as a family. Okay, so technically it's GLAMPING. Either way, it's helped us feel a little normal through the 'stay at home' order.

We bought our trailer last June (2019) and this past March it was stolen from our home. The same week schools shut down and the stay at home order was put in place. It was EXTREMELY sad and scary with everything else being unknown. This was just another battle as to where are things going? How bad will it get?

But fast forward to May, and we were finally able to get our replacement. Although times are still unknown, it's been nice to get out again. It gives a real sense of normalcy, especially since baby girl will be here in approximately a month. We went to the desert and then to Newport Dunes, one of my FAVORITE places so far.​

​Despite everything, the feelings of excitement and future family MEMORIES we are able to create make everything worth while. Oh, and Roman loves the beach/sand/water.

​This is the last vacation we anticipate having before baby girl is here. Although it was short lived, it was really nice to spend the quality time together. Next year, we plan on going to Hawaii. We had a trip scheduled this past March, but COVID/quarantine had different plans for us. So THANK YOU to my husband for just wanting to provide the best for his family. ​​
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​I'm 31 weeks pregnant with our baby girl. It took us 30 weeks to paint her NURSERY. Roman is so full of energy, all the time. Being mommy to him and working a full time job has kept me too busy to think about her details, which is unfair to her because I won't remember it all. So here I am again, TRYING.


It's been a LONG time since I've written a blog. TBH, my domain auto-renewed, and that's why it still exists. I'm really glad it did though. I want as many memories as I can keep stored, even if it's just ONE more.

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It's so heartwarming to see how much Roman loves his baby sister. I mean LOVES. Obsessed. He always lifts my shirt(s) to bare belly and wants to give "tister" hugs and kisses. Sometimes he even laughs of excitement when he hasn't seen her for a while. Laying him on my belly is the easiest way to get him to nap right now. It's just the SWEETEST thing, and I pray he loves her just as much once she's here. He was ecstatic to help paint her room.

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Details:
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Paint: Behr Marquee in color ROSE PEARL eggshell {Home Depot}
Rug: Cheriton Abstract Gray/Pink Area Rug 8 X 10 {www.wayfair.com/rugs/pdp/williston-forge-cheriton-abstract-gray-pink-area-rug-w000241105.html?piid=48461427}
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HALF BIRTHDAYS are a thing now right?! Well, we celebrated Roman's on February 11th! Just like that, six months have come and gone. This journey of motherhood is one crazy, fun, emotional experience with no transition period. One day I was pregnant and the next day, I just suddenly owned an 8 pound 11 ounce tiny human who was mine to keep forever. Okay, so he wasn't that tiny and he's also not mine forever, but I'd like to think that he is, at least for now. The days have felt so long, the nights even longer, it's really all a big blur of what feels like a dream, but here we are. Six months has passed way too fast, and what a HUGE milestone that is to celebrate!

​Side note, drooling over those rolls!

I imagined what being a mommy would be like. When I think about it, I even believe that I already really knew. Long sleepless nights, clingy baby, stinky diapers (although I don't mind sniffing his), teething, feeling helpless when you don't know what's wrong, but KNOWING and LIVING are two completely different things. That's even with Roman being a pretty happy baby, as long as he's fed of course. I mean, look at that awesome bod! But everything constantly changes. Just when I think I have him all figured out and we have a great routine, he challenges me and shows me who the boss really is.

I didn't know that when babies learn a new skill, they get so excited about it that it affects their sleep. This is Roman sitting unsupported at six months, a newly acquired skill, no sleep. We did have one mishap in this part of the shoot where he got a little dizzy and lost his balance thanks to his favorite hat that is still too big for him. Sorry, bud!

We've gone through growth spurts, mental leaps, illness, teething, lots of normal baby things. Sometimes these things feel like they are never ending. I haven't slept well in at least seven months. I have googled every baby search, read through every related post, asked for advice and experience in mommy groups, but there is something so special, so MAGICAL about being a mommy that keeps me going and going, even when I didn't know how I would.
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It could be the two pearly whites that started coming in the day after Christmas. That was fun. It could be the sweet baby innocence he uses to work his charm. He owns me. Him and those big, googley, green eyes. I can't help but feel how lucky I am and how much I LOVE being Roman's mom. ​​

​This is all so new to me. First born. First son. Life of a full-time working mom. Doing a job that I love by day and also doing a never-ending job at all other times. A job that is more challenging, more inspiring, more EMOTIONAL than I can truly comprehend, even while living it. I'll do my best to put it down on paper for the sake of trying to remember the gritty details. But more than anything, I hope I never forget the feelings that I'm feeling throughout it all. I hope to share, elaborate, inspire, learn, and so much more.
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DREAM BIG  my little one.

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Photography: Sandra Lozano I Elaine Munoz
Styling: Sandra Lozano I Elaine Munoz
Backdrops: Miriam Corona Events
Balloons: Party City
1/2 Birthday Crown: Amazon - The Golden Swallow shop
Piano: Nordstrom (this one is no longer sold, but here are some similar styles)
Wardrobe: Target - Cat & Jack 
Roman's Special Guests: Mom I Cousins Lilyana & Emily