Ariana's 1st Birthday Party!

I still can't believe it. My little baby girl is 1 year old. It's truly a reminder of how fast life flies by, and how important it is to spend it with those people you truly care about. Ariana was able to celebrate her birthday with the people who love her. Of course, the kindness of those who decided to bring gifts for my little girl is always appreciated too! Here are a few of my favorite photos from her birthday. :)

What is your birthday wish for Ariana? Leave a comment below. :)

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Toddler Tae Kwon Do :)

As a few of you know, my husband is taking tae kwon do lessons, at our local dojang. What you may not know is that he recently decided to sign Phoenix up for a 2 week tae kwon do trial as well. 


I'm personally not a big fan of scheduling things for toddlers. Phoenix is 3½, and I'd prefer to have days open with lots of free time to play and do whatever we feel like doing. But, while I don't want to push him into activities at such a young age, I do respect my husband's decision to see how it goes for a 2-week trial. :) 

So far, all I've learned so far is that there is nothing cuter than a toddler doing tae kwon do. He's the shortest one who starts out a little slow, but gets pretty hard-core toward the end.  ;)

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What Does An Attachment Parenting Baby Sound Like?

It appears as though I'm an "attachment parent". I first realized that there was a name for all this instinctive stuff I did when I read Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide to Raising Confident, Loving Children by Mayim Bialik. I don't do everything that some attachment parents but it's not an all or nothing thing. 

Basically "attachment parenting" is "about forming and nurturing strong connections between parents and their children. Attachment Parenting challenges us as parents to treat our children with kindness, respect and dignity, and to model in our interactions with them the way we'd like them to interact with others." (http://www.attachmentparenting.org/principles/principles.php/prepare.php)

Parenting this way has allowed me to have a baby that hardly ever cries. It's simple. If she's hungry, I feed her. I she wants to be held, I hold her. If she's tired, I nurse her to sleep. I meet her needs. She's happy she trusts the world. She's never been abandoned, and never will be.

But, the real reason I'm writing this post is to show you that what I'm doing has had some amazing side-effects. Remember when I told you to ask my son what a baby sounds like? Well, here is his answer.  :) 

It's a wonderful feeling to have changed my parenting style from the standard American style to that of an attachment parent. It might not work for everyone, but it works for me. I've gotten too used to my happy baby to change things now. :) 

So, am I horrible/awesome/crazy? Here's your chance to sound off. Leave a comment and let me know. 

Check out more posts about family & parenting. 

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Happy 1st Birthday Ariana!

It's hard to believe how fast the past 12 months have really flown by. My life has been forever changed on June 26, 2011, when I gave birth to Ariana Jade in a 2-hour whirlwind of excitement. I'll never forget how the two most important people in my life, my husband and son were able to share in the joy of her birth too.

I've become more in tune with Ariana than I ever have with another person before. I've been able to pick up up subtleties of her actions that I wasn't able to connect with when I had Phoenix, like the way she'll angle her legs toward me when I put her down to tell me that she still needs me to hold her... for my touch to comfort her.

Holding Ariana at 3 weeks old

I'm having a blast getting to know this unique, little person. A subtle wiggle when she's in the sling tells me that she's getting hungry. It's always interesting to see the reactions of people when I explain that I need to go because Ariana's getting fussy, when she does no more than wiggle. She won't cry. She won't make a sound. But I know what she needs... so she knows there's no reason to cry. 

Next time you see Phoenix, ask him what sound a baby makes. He'll erupt into a fit of giggles. :) His sister is a happy baby. I see it every day. People remind me wherever we go, and I'm proud to be her mom. 


In fact, the other day, I heard a baby crying, and I overheard somebody ask my husband, "Remember those days?" He simply replied, "No... it's been three years." and, he's right. During any given 24-hour period, Ariana might cry for 10-15 minutes tops. And, I'll tell you what, there's no better feeling than a happy baby... a truly happy baby.

And... there is SO much more to her than that. She loves banging on tables and making music. She's also a dancer. Anytime she hears music, Ariana can't help but start to groove! It's a wonderful thing to watch.


She also loves to go pee on the potty! Ariana will usually go pee on the potty about 1-2 times a day. Again, it was just a matter of tuning into her needs. 


Ariana likes to feed herself, and prefers to pass on the baby purees, and would much rather feed herself peas & pffs. I'm excited to introduce more solid veggies into her diet. I think we're going to go with carrots next. 


She says mama, dada, and bye bye. She waves and claps her hands. She's also walking... full-on walking. She had been taking steps here and there, but really wanted to show off on her birthday, and just started walking like a pro! As one of my mommy friends put it, "It's like she went right from her sling to walking." Indeed, she did. :) 


I've been so fortunate to be blessed with such a wonderful baby girl. I'm looking forward to sharing a lifetime of love with her. Happy 1st Birthday, Ariana!

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Oprah's Favorite Things: 2012 Gift Guide (Lisa's Picks)

I always loved the shows on Oprah where she would feature "Oprah's Favorite Things". But now that the show is over, what can fills this void? Well, I'm certainly no Oprah, but I decided to list a few of my own "Favorite Things".

EOS (Evolution Of Smooth) Lip Balm

I have always been a Lip Smacker &Chapstick girl, but EOS Lip Balm quickly put an end to that. Their lip balm is not only smooth & moisturizing, but it's Certified USDA organic. It's also petrolatum-free, paraben-free, and  full of the most aromatic oils you've ever smelled. If you're used to regular chapstick, you've gotta give this a try. You have no idea what you're missing!

A Nice Purse
A few years back, I got a nice Kate Spade bag... and LOVE it! It's the nicest purse I have ever owned, and worth every penny. If you're able to, there's nothing like the feeling of having a nice purse. They stay in perfect condition for what seems to be forever! They don't have my exact bag available, but they do have plenty of other ones that look great.

Lancome's Le Crayon Khol Eyeliner Pencil 

Ladies, toss away that cheap eyeliner. (And that lighter you use to soften it, but never really works.) Did you know that some eyeliner glides on smoothly? Yup, once I found Lancome's Le Crayon Khol Eyeliner Pencil - Black Lapis/Black Noir, my makeup world changed. It's formulated so that the warmth from your skin literall allows it to melt effortlessly and perfectly onto your skin. The Black Lapis/Black noir color has a very slight dark blue tint to it. It looks black going on, but when I take it off, I always notice the ever-so-slight blue-ish tint. 

Dark Chocolate

I used to hate dark chocolate. But it knew it was packed with tons of good-for-you flavoniods. So, little by little, I started eating more dark chocolate and less milk cocoate, and you know what? Now I LOVE dark chocolate!

What's your favorite thing? Leave a comment letting me know :)


Like this idea? Feel free to borrow it and do a Favorite Things post on your blog. (Of course, I’d love a link back)!

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Brother & Sister... Learning To Get Along

We're just a few days away from Ariana's birthday, and today it just struck me how well Phoenix & Ariana are getting along. I truly believe that there's nobody they love more than each other, and their relationship with each other is an amazing thing to watch. :)




The days of the two getting along are starting to creep into the mix. But, I'm not gonna lie. More often than not, their interaction together is a bit more like this:

P.S. This lovely blog is only a little snippet of my crazy life. You can follow along at these places too:

  Lisa Brown's Facebook  -  It Keeps Getting Better's Facebook  -  YouTube  -  Pintrest  -  Twitter

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Naturally Beautiful With #EclosBeauty

I almost didn't do this post. As you know, I'm staying far away from harmful toxins... expecially those found in beauty products. It's honestly crazy what is in some of the products we use... some chemicals have been roven to cause cancer. Some chemicals by law must be handled with numerous precautions in a work environment due to how hazardous they are. Yet, millions of women unknowingly put them on their face in the form of a beauty product. As consumers, the burden is on us to make sure the products we use aren't harmful. Unfortunately, most of them are.

So, when I heard about an anti-aging éclos Skin Care, I figured they were no different. Boy, was I wrong! Not only is their anti-aging skin care line free of Retinol, they're based out of Canada, which has strict regulations about the safety & non-toxicity of beauty products.  

éclos Skin Care features Apple Stem Cells extracted from a rare Swiss apple (Uttwiler Spätlauber) which have shown tremendous ability to stimulate skin stem cells, encouraging aging skin to behave like younger skin. Plant extracts, vitamins and anti-oxidants combine with the Apple Stem Cell technology to help minimize the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and tired skin.

Clinically Proven Results

• 100% of the women saw a reduction in wrinkle appearance  within 2 weeks
• Skin’s collagen matrix and elastin fibroblasts can look up to 15 years younger

This means that a 50 year old subject’s skin can appear like that of a 35 year old!

Similar products were once only available from specialty brands at department stores with a high price tag to match. éclos is the first brand to bring this active ingredient to mainstream stores at a fraction of the cost- making beautiful and younger skin available to women everywhere.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of éclos Skin Care. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Flood® Wood Care {GIVEAWAY}

This post brought to you by Flood Wood Care. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

Now that it's summer, we've been spending a lot more time outdoors. We have a nice wood privacy fence that defines our backyard space. In addition, he have a brand new swingset out back that ken recently added a wood- covered sand box to. and, though Ken told me we'd need to seal the wood cover, it never got done. The wood has swelled up, so now it doesn't fit properly anymore. Oh, and it's already showing signs of damage... with black mildew/mold areas already popping up. I guess this is what happens when you don't take care of wood products... but don't make the same mistak we did!

 

Get your deck refinished... plus big bucks to celebrate! Lookibng to give yourself the perfect summer treat? Flood® Wood Care is having a sweepstakes - The Take it Easy Sweepstakes to be exact! Enter to win at http://bit.ly/JYuyry

 

If you win, Flood® Wood Care will provide all the supplies AND labor to prep and stain your deck PLUS $2,000 for the deck party of your dreams. It's always easy with Flood® products, but it just doesn't get any easier than this!

 

Flood® is the best solution for any wood care projects you may take on this summer.

 

The Flood® brand has earned its reputation as "The Wood Care Specialist" – giving product users the confidence that Flood® products, such as their exterior wood stains and wood cleaners, will protect, preserve and beautify their investment. Flood® understands the time and effort involved in exterior wood care and the pride you feel in a job well done. That's why you can trust Flood® stain products to simplify the process while delivering quality results and long-lasting performance. In fact, they have been recognized in the wood care industry for their reliable protection, and Flood® stain products are purchased by loyal consumers everywhere. Founded in 1841 by a family of painters, Flood® is an expert in exterior wood care so you don't have to be.

 

 

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Aria Montgomery's Style (aka Lucy Hale)

The fashion sense from the girls of Pretty Little Liars never fails to turn heads. Whether it’s during a fashion show, Masquerade Ball or for Halloween the girls are always dressed to impress. I've always loved the style of Aria. (Hmm... I wonder where I got the name Ariana for my daughter... ;)

Aria's style is a bit funky, unique, and always figure-flattering. She's the one who has me wanting to hit the stores to copy every single outfit. What's not to love, when it comes to style, she's got it!

Love the show as much as I do? Wondering what the hype is about? Check out the complete Season 2 DVD at http://bit.ly/KOAkwO. And, don't forget to tune in to Pretty Little Liars: Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC Family. You won't want to miss it! :)

I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for Pretty Little Liars.

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