I Miss Florida

This used to be our backyard:

Can you see my dog in this picture? :-) He is so happy off leash.

 He loves the water.

I miss this place a few minutes from the house:

And this one too:

But most of all I miss my dear friend Polyana and all the other friends I left behind. 

Dog Park

Before we moved to Houma, LA, one of the first things I did, after finding a good school and a place for us to live, was trying to find a Dog Park to take our dog. I was amazed to find out there is NONE in town. I need to let my dog run off leash for a while, because he needs exercise and he is used to do that.

I've been driving all over town trying to find a piece of land where I can let him loose. But I could not find anything! All the parks have playground next to it, and he loves kids, so it will be a disaster to do that. He is too big and heavy and if he jumps, he can scratch a child by accident. he is still a puppy and he loves playing but he is 55lb.

After 2 months searching for it, we finally was able to find out that the next town just finished building their new dog park and we went there this past Saturday. It was a 35 minute drive to Thibodaux but our dog had a blast.

I was happy to find this Dog Park but I wish there was one in town. My dog doesn't like to be in the car for 35 minutes... but better then have to drive to New Orleans which is 1 hour. ;-)

We've Moved to the Swamp (LOL)

When my husband was offered a promotion I was so excited for him. But that meant having to move the family from Florida to Louisiana. It also meant having my husband home, instead of traveling ALL THE TIME.
It's been 2 months and I am learning that south Louisiana is so DIFFERENT then Florida.

What I have learned so far:
1-Most people here have better manners then in Florida, maybe because central Florida is a fast paced city and people don't have time to "smell the roses" anymore...
2- Everything in Louisiana takes longer: if you need a haircut, you need to call the hairstylist and wait a few days until she feels like returning your call. Then 3 days later, she calls you back to schedule for the following week, because she is booked this week, LOL
3- Doctors appointments are even worse. Your appointment is at 3:20PM, you get there on time, first there are no seat available, because there are also 30 other people waiting to be seen. Then when is 4:10PM and you ask the front desk if is normal that is taking almost an hour and her reply: "well your appt was at 3:30PM so is not 1 hour yet". LOL
4- If I thought that Customer Service was dead in this Country, I don't know how should I call it here. Because I asked for a spoon at the Olive Garden and the waitress said: "there is no clean spoons sorry." when the restaurant is not even half occupied. How does she expect my toddler to drink his soup? With a fork?!?!??!!? Seriously?

Now, I wanted to say that we are enjoying living in a small town.

Things like that that if someone else was telling me I would think they are joking or something, but they are all true.

My mission this year is:
1) Find a good Pediatrician - tried 2 and I will keep looking
2) Find a good dentist and orthodontist 
3) Find a good hair stylist


The Ordeal with Pediatricians so far: 

I already went to 2 Pediatricians. To make the story short, the first one didn't have light in the bathroom and they wanted my son to give them urine sample. In the dark, really? It was "spooky" so I had to drive all the way home, get the sample, and bring it back to the office. When they called me with the results, I asked: "what tests were performed?". the response was: "sugar and stuff like that". Then I asked again: "what exactly". She didn't know for sure, I asked to be transferred to someone else that knew, they did, but she wasn't very clear. Anyways, we really liked the Doctor but the office and her staff sucked, so we will keep looking. 
The second Pediatrician was inside the Hospital, big building, horrible to find parking. The waiting room is so big that they call you in the microphone. "So and so to the door". WHich door? There are like 10 doors... And then I didn't like the Doctor. They  tested my son, it wasn't strep throat, so it was a virus, and he wanted to prescribe him something. Really? For a virus? Is not gonna cure him, so what's the point of drugging my son? 

2) We are only due in April for our cleaning so I can't go to any Dentists yet. But I just took my teenage daughter to get an evaluation with the only Orthodontist in town, and I can tell you right now: WE ARE NOT GOING BACK! First we get there on time, and there are a few other patients standing up because the 30 chairs are all taken. When I did my research it was 2 dentists (male), full of awards, and etc. Then when we arrive, it said in the wall: The doctor today is___ (fermale). Anyways, we waited, patiently for 1 hour. When they finally called us and the dentist came in, I felt like I was in a dealership to buy a new car. I didn't trust half of the things the "Dentist" told me, then the nurse said she would come back with numbers, then a second person came over to give me the price and if I sign up today, I would get a $50 off. I almost laughed in her face! LOL
I am FOR SURE getting a second opinion!!! 
I thought it was kinda fishy that they advertise as Dr Such and Dr So, and then when you go to your appointment is a new dentist, that looks younger then me, that probably graduated a couple of years ago. No way! 
I REALLY MISS Dr. James Kendrick and Dr. Michael Di Mauro. :-( 

3) I've been taking my son to get a haircut with my amazing hair stylist named Cindy (Art of Hair)  for the past 2 years. She is amazing, like I said, and my never had a problem before. I don't like using a trimmer and she knows it. And then the first week we were here my son needed a haircut. I never thought I would have a problem finding a place to get his hair done, but I was soooo wrong!!!! 
The first place I took him, a cute barber shop, the lady did a great job cutting my husbands hair so I was relaxed. I told her how I wanted and I said "do NOT use the trimmer". Apparently NO in Louisiana doesn't mean NO. At the end, she grabbed the trimmer, I looked at my husband waiting him to say something because maybe she didn't understand what I said. I just left the place or I would punch her! I think is very disrespectful if a mother tells you, DO NOT do this to my son and you do it anyways. WTH?!?!? 
Then I took my son to the salon at the mall, after another mother told me this guy does a great job at her kids hair. I was all excited again, finally! Yay! Big mistake. After I told him my previous bad experience, and asking him if he could cut with scissors only, he said yes, then at the end, the same non sense, TRIMMER! WTH! I could not believe it!
Then 3rd time is a charm, I was able to find this sweet hair stylist, I was all excited, she only used scissors but after I washed his hair, the haircut was terrible. One side was longer then the other and around the ears was all crooked. Argh!
And the problem is that I have to call the hair stylist in most places and schedule directly with them, it takes a few days for them to return the call, so is very frustrating!!! 
I miss Cindy from the Art of Hair so much!!!! I am dying to find someone as good as her here. 

My Son & Our Puppy

This is when we adopted him:

And how big he is now at 4 months old:

They love each other so much.

Our Puppy is 4 months old

He is growing so fast, about 2lb per week. Everyone at the Vet's office love him and take great care of him. He just got his last puppy shots.

Puppy is all better now and going home!!!

After 3 days at the Vet, our Puppy is coming home. Thanks to all the prayers and messages. We really appreciate it.

Puppy got really sick

We were devastated when 3 days after we adopted our Puppy, he got really sick. This is our first dog, and the kids were in love. We just left him in the Vet overnight. Let's pray for him.

New Puppy

My daughter has been asking me forever for a dog and I finally cave in. I was never a dog person, and she used to have a cat but we've been looking into adopting  or fostering a pet until we saw this handsome black lab mix with blue eyes and fell in love.
We drove 1 hour away to adopt him and we couldn't be any happier. Our family is now complete and my kids are also in love. He was 9 weeks when we adopted him.

Here is my son playing with our puppy and his sister. My daughter is in heaven. :-))))

Here is our handsome boy. Isn't he adorable???

Super Chic Boutique is BACK

After such a long time, my website is back online. Click here!      

Check it out and let me know what do you think?!?



 

Master Bathroom DIY

I love Pinterest!!! I was able to get a few great tutorials and I am now staining my cabinets, I also framed my ugly contractor mirror and bought new shower curtains.

What do you think?!?!? ;-)

Guest Bathroom

The contractor came and did the laundry room and the bathroom and I am so happy right now. :-) It was not easy with 2 kids and a husband out of town, but is finally done. We had the vanity in the garage for 3 months and when the contractor finally came we find out it wouldn't fit the bathroom because of the drawers on the right, flushed to the door. :-( Then I had to run to the store to find a new one in stock, so all the plans have changed a little: lighting, sink, faucet. Then I had to pack the 120lb box (vanity+sink+countertop+mirror) and returned it.

Laundry Room

I can't believe it's been almost a year since my last Post... But now with PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and so many other websites... I rarely have time for my Blog... After waiting for the contractor for almost 3 months, my laundry room is almost done! Now I just need to install a few little things and I couldn't be happier to have a sink in there. What do you think?!?!

"Good Things Come In SMALL Packages"

'"Good Things Come In SMALL Packages"' by amberike

All things small, pretty, purple and green found in this treasury.

Fairyfolk $20.00	PrinceDesignUK $22.00	KimArt $18.99
annemariesbrei... $1.75	feltjar $12.00	thelittlereddo... $50.00
DIVINEsweetnes... $16.00	namolio $15.00	gardenmis $22.00
MochiQtie $16.00	OrdinaryMommy $14.00	kivaford $25.00
superchicbouti... $3.00	ayelet17 $5.50	VerreEncore $
NaturalAmber $12.50

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Get Ready for the JUNE FEST Blog GIVEAWAY

Our lucky June Winner will have an opportunity to select one item from either of Carrie's Shops - HappyLittleMonkey or MonkeySeeMonkeyDo. Carrie is a Florida native now living in Tallahassee. She creates wonderful products for kids with practicality, utility and parents in mind.

HappyLittleMonkey specializes in great baby gifts and you can choose a Premium Swaddling Blanket and Burp Cloth Set from this Shop similar to this lovely blue, aqua and white blanket combo as your Giveaway.
MonkeySeeMonkeyDo features items for bigger kids, from age 1 to around kindergarten and growing. Or select as your Giveaway, an Appliqued Shirt from this Shop. Here's an example of Carrie's special designs.

Carrie spends hours searching for just the perfect materials and fabrics for her fabulous creations and, in addition to the Giveaway, if Team FEST members purchase a Swaddling Blanket Set by July 4th, Carrie will monogram the blanket or burp cloth FREE when FEST members use the code GOTEAMFEST in the comments.

HOW TO ENTER: Enter to win by visiting Carrie at either or both of her Shops HappyLittleMonkey or MonkeySeeMonkeyDo or any of the FEST Team members listed in the Member Section. Find your favorite item, share it with us and tell us why you love it. Remember to add your email address so we can contact you if you are the Winner! Winner picked on 07/04/11. Simple and Easy!

About the Artist:
Carrie is a stay-at-home mommy of two little ones and loves the opportunity to create great things! Her product inspiration comes from her kids, and then she create things that Moms will love too.
Carrie learned how to sew as a little girl, along-side her mother who gave Carrie her very own machine at a very young age!

Sport Brella

I was at the beach this weekend with the baby and saw this family using this cool umbrella. I asked the name and he told me SPORT BRELLA. It's just perfect when you have kids and it will protect them from the sun and wind big time. Here is a picture.

The FEST Team May Blog GIVEAWAY!!!

The FEST Team proudly presents our May Daze BLOG GIVEAWAY selection from Laura of Tierrasolpaz. Laura is an accomplished artist who enjoys creating mixed media art, jewelry, photography, zines, stationary, decoupage pieces, paper crafts - anything that materials may inspire her with. Laura uses recycled materials, or follows an upcycle philosophy whenever possible helping to keep the final cost of her creations affordable to the buyer. She is proud to be part of the etsy community of independent designers, creators, artists, and crafters alike.

Her giveaway is a stunningly beautiful and glorious sunset over water with mountains in the background of Lake Mead in Las Vegas, Nevada. The photograph will be delivered as an 8 x 10 glossy professionally printed picture.


HOW TO ENTER: Visit the team blog post May Daze BLOG GIVEAWAY to enter to win the lovely and colorful photograph by visiting Laura at Tierrasolpaz or any of the FEST Team Members listed in the Member Section. Find your favorite item, share it with us and tell us why you love it. Remember to leave your email or contact info so we can reach you if you're the lucky winner. The winner will be picked on June 4rd. Simple and Easy!

New Treasury

We are praying for you Cameron and Courtney

In life we all have our problems and our struggles. Some small that seem so big at the time and some so large some days it is hard to get out of bed and we wonder how we are going to get through it. I recently had one of those moments. Everything seemed like it was just stacking on my shoulders and I just broke. In that moment I called one of my best friends Courtney. I have known her since middle school. We have been through so many things in our life. Some good, some not so good. We have gone days talking to each other every day to at one point not talking for years. As I was talking to her threw all the tears I said to her. . . You know, it could always be worse. There are so many people out in the world that have bigger problems in their life then I do. And at that point I felt really selfish! I am sitting here on the phone crying to my best friend about my problems and not even seeing that she has so much more on her shoulders then I ever will. So for that I am sorry, and I feel I need to share her story. If anyone needs prayer in their life and some kind of miracle it is my friend Courtney and her son Cameron.

Here is her story. . .

Courtney got pregnant last year with her 3rd baby. In all of her pregnancies she has had problems. This was the worse. She was only 6 weeks along and she had already been to the hospital more then once. She also managed to move to Texas for 5 months and then moved back to Reno. Not even being back in Reno 2 hours she was checked into the hospital. She was later released, and stayed home on bed rest for a few weeks. She was 25 weeks and 4 day along (about 6 months) and ended up back in the hospital. She had to have an emergency C-section. At 4:04am on October 6, 2010 Cameron James Damon Boswell was born only weighing 1 lb 5 oz. Cameron was born with lots of complication. He was born 15 weeks early. Right away he had problems with his heart, and his lungs were not developed. Courtney had to wait a long 9 weeks before she could even hold him in her arms.

Cameron is now 6 months old and weighs 14 lbs 4 oz . In six month this little boy has had many surgeries. Including a heart surgery, hernia surgery, and a trach put in to help get him off the vent, to only name a few. He has gone through so much fighting for his life every day. He has come so far in his short 6 month of life, but not far enough.

Everyday she is able to get out of bed. She get her kids off to school and then goes to the hospital. She spends most of the day just holding Cameron, breathing him in, talking to him and praying for him to keep up his fight. Then she goes home, spends time with Dylan, and Kaylee. Gets them off to bed, and goes back to the hospital. Every time she has to leave Cameron she struggles with it. The thought of something going wrong, the thought that she will not be able to get there in time to hold his hand, or just the thought that he is there alone. So most nights she does not even sleep more then a few hours in fear that the phone may ring and she will not hear it.

Courtney manages to care for and split her time between Cameron in the hospital, but also for her two other children at home, Dylan 13 and Kaylee 6. She is often torn between not spending enough time with Dylan and Kaylee but also not being able to hold Cameron's hand when he has his bad days, which are more often then good ones. Two weeks ago Courtney got a call from the Lung Specialist and was told, over the phone, that there was not anything more they were able to do for Cameron. They set up an time to talk with her and give her some options on how she was to let Cameron die. Cameron has had many struggles. His biggest is his lungs. He is not responding to steroids, and is not able to breath on his own. He needs new lungs, but the doctors say that he can not get new lungs because he is to sick.

Despite all the negative things that Courtney has been faced with she manages to keep it together and stay very positive. She is apart of a few support groups including What to expect when you are expecting, Inspire.com and Care bridge. She takes time to read everything that people write to her and responds to them. She updates her face book all the time to let everyone know how Cameron is doing. She has called and written other hospitals to get just another opinion or option for Cameron. She has not had any success. How could any mother be asked to choose how they would like their son to die??

Cameron has been here for 6 months and already he has touched so many hearts and lives.

There are so many times I don't even know what to say to Courtney and I have to hold back the tears. I can not even begin to imagine what she is going through. You may ask why am I sharing her story?? I admire her! For her strength, her ability to stay positive, her courage, and for her ability to stay strong and not give up! She has not once even thought of letting her little boy go. I want her to know that there are many people who support her. She is such a great person, a great friend, and a great mother! I pray that Cameron will prove the doctors wrong, get better, and Courtney will be able to take him home and he will live a long health life.

So. . . I am asking you, all my friends, just to say a prayer. Please pray for Courtney, her family, and for Cameron. He is a fighter and we are not giving up on him!

If you have any question about Cameron you can email Courtney at Courtneymcclure76@yahoo.com or you can follow her posts on her face book (Courtney McClure), What to expect when you are expecting, Inspire.com or Care bridge. Feel free to pass this along to all your friends.
By Sabrina Carlock

Can You Spoil a Newborn?!?

Find out why it's impossible to spoil a newborn with your love and attention.

Whether it’s from a family member or a well-meaning neighbor, almost every new mommy has heard the same warning at some point or another: “If you keep picking up your baby every time she cries, you’re going to spoil her.” Or “Watch out — you can spoil a newborn by feeding her whenever she wants.” To those who say you pay too much attention — don’t pay them any attention (true for much of the unwanted baby advice you’ll be getting). The truth is, it’s impossible to spoil a newborn. That’s right, impossible! And the experts agree. Here’s what the research shows:

Newborns cry because they have basic needs — to be fed, held, comforted, and loved. Their needs are actually the same as their wants at this age. And it is your job to listen to your instincts and respond to those needs and wants as best you can. If that means toting your infant around in a sling while you do the laundry or getting up every few hours throughout the night to nurse, so be it. That won’t spoil a newborn. Far from it. When you respond to your newborn’s cries and try to meet her needs, you’re teaching her to feel secure and confident. And that security and confidence will result in less crying and more independence in the long run. That’s because young babies who feel a deep trust in their parents tend to develop a secure sense of self that helps them self-soothe later on.

Newborns aren’t manipulative. Worried that your baby may be using her whimpers and tears to manipulate you? Even your precious angel isn’t smart enough for that kind of complicated thought at this young age. Newborns’ needs and wants are much more straightforward. So each time you or your hubby quickly responds to your infant’s cries for food, a cuddle, or help nodding off to sleep, you’re reinforcing the notion that you’ll be there for your little one and that she can count on you. This notion will not spoil a newborn but will instead help her develop a healthy bond with her parents. Of course there will be times when you can’t get to your infant as quickly as you might like (hey, mommies have to pee, too!), but responding to your infant’s needs as best you can will let your infant know she’s loved. And guess what? A baby who’s secure in her bond with her parents is a happier, less-needy baby — and becomes an older baby who has the courage to take on the world without clinging to you.

It's a little different with older babies. Once your baby gets to be about six months old, however, her wants will get more sophisticated and they may not be the same thing as her needs. For instance, an older baby may want to pull your hair or earring or she may want that TV remote with all the interesting buttons. In cases like that, it’s good to set some limits and teach discipline — that way, your baby will be more capable of understanding the concept that Mommy doesn’t always give me what I want, but she still loves me. For now, though, while your little one is still so young, remember that you can’t spoil a newborn — but you can teach her to trust in you and the world.

Sleep Solutions for Babies

6 Ways to Establish a Blissful Baby Bedtime Routine
You've heard that bedtime routines will help lull your little one off to the land of Nod, but do you know how to start one? These tips will help you set the stage for sleep.

Just like many newbie moms, you’ve likely done your fair share of talking to experienced parents about baby sleep — and you’ve probably gotten an earful about how establishing a bedtime routine is key to instilling good sleep habits in your baby. And it’s true! A calming bedtime routine that follows a predictable pattern every night helps give your baby a heads-up that it’s time to put her little head down, which in turn helps her nod off more easily. What’s more, a bedtime routine is a wonderful way to bond with your little bundle at the end of a long day. After all, the time spent snuggling, singing lullabies, and quietly reading are some of the coziest — and calmest — you’ll get to spend with your precious peanut. So now that you’ve gotten the memo about the importance of establishing a comfortable bedtime routine, how exactly do you go about making it happen? To help you transition your baby into surefire sleep mode, keep these tips in mind:

1.) Don’t start a bedtime routine right away. No need to impose a sleep schedule on your newborn as soon as you bring her home. Your adorable bundle will likely sleep a lot those first few days. After all, she has to recover from the effort of being born (and truthfully, you’ll need to recover, too — so take advantage and catch up on your z’s now, while you can). Unfortunately, all that newborn sleep won’t come in long stretches of hours (sorry to say) because newborn eating — which will happen every two to three hours — takes precedence over a sleep schedule now. The fact is, it’ll probably be a few weeks before a pattern emerges (whatever it may be) to your newborn’s sleep. When it does...

2.) Observe your baby’s sleep tendencies. Before you bust out with a bedtime routine, get a sense of when your baby usually goes to sleep for her longest stretch of the night (keeping a sleep log can often help with this). Once you figure out when your little one’s longest snooze is (you’ll be lucky if your baby sleeps five hours in a row during these early months), you can start to time your bedtime routine in advance of that. For example, if your baby tends to sleep her longest stretch from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., aim to start fitting in a bedtime routine around 7:15 or 7:30 p.m.

3.) Start slowly. When you determine that you’re ready to start incorporating a bedtime routine into your baby’s life, slowly, over the next month or so, introduce the nighttime rituals that you want to be part of the mix. Tried-and-true bedtime charms include a soothing bath, gentle infant massages, a cuddly feeding (whether it’s from the breast or the bottle), reading a book or two, and singing lullabies (the songs and stories help your baby learn to take comfort in your voice, while the rhythm of your words will encourage her to drift off to sleep — especially when combined with cozy cuddles). Whichever rituals you choose to include, be consistent, and in time, your little sweetie will learn to equate those things with bedtime.

4.) Try to master the drowsy baby drop-off. At the end of your bedtime routine, if you can swing it, try to put your sleepy bundle down while she’s drowsy — but not actually asleep — so she gets used to falling asleep on her own (and not in your arms). This will make your life a lot easier when your baby is older, since you won’t have to spend hours (yes, it can take that long!) rocking or singing your sleepyhead off to dreamland. Plus, if your little one learns how to put herself to sleep at the beginning of the night, she should know how to put herself back to sleep when she wakes up in the middle of the night (and wouldn’t that be nice!). It’s true that the drowsy baby tuck-in doesn’t work for every infant, but it’s well worth giving it a shot — and trying it over and over again, too!

5.) Abbreviate the routine during the day. In time you may likely find that your nighttime routine works just as well for naptime (in a modified form) as it does at bedtime. Take advantage of the sleep cues your baby knows and incorporate them into her before-nap pattern. While you probably don’t want to take the time or the effort to do a major bath or full-body massage, you may very well want to read a story or two or sing a song to help your cutie transition to naptime more easily.

6.) Adapt the bedtime routine if needed. While it’s important to be consistent with your baby’s bedtime routine while you’re establishing one, it’s equally important to be conscious of your growing baby’s changing needs as time goes on. For instance, as your baby gets older, bathtime before bed may turn into a rowdy activity instead of a calming one (once she learns to splash there may be no stopping her!); in that case, you’d ditch the tub and skip straight to a massage. Or if your baby starts to consistently fall asleep while you’re nursing or bottle feeding her without fueling up enough for the night, switch her before-bed snack to earlier in the bedtime routine. A little trial and error along the way can help you figure out a bedtime routine that will continue to work for your baby — and send her off to sleep feeling safe, secure, and loved.