Happy Fourth of July People!  Hope you’re off to a great weekend!  My plans include a family bbq, a bbq party w/friends and a possible run to the beach, oh yeah and another bbq!  Personally I’m not really looking forward to all that meat in my system, I’ll be packing in any available veggie I can and slathering spf like there ain’t no tomorrow.

As it’s a holiday, I would like to leave you with my current favorite youtube video.  I am the biggest Little House on the Prairie fan, if I could go to Fantasy Island, I would like the life of Ma aka Caroline Ingalls.  I’m all about baking pies, pumping water, using an outhouse, swaying in time with the beat of a fiddle, oh yeah did I forget to mention the leading man?! *starry eyes*

The role of Ma was played by Karen Grassle.  Grassle is described as the most underrated actress in history by the vid creator and I whole-heartedly agree!  Not exactly beauty fodder but I can’t think of a more beautiful actress to portray Mrs. America on the Fourth of July. 

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Tags: 4th of July, actress, beauty, Caroline, Caroline Ingalls, Grassle, Ingalls, Karen, karen grassle, Little House, Little House on the Prairie, underrated

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From the Splendicity community, comes this week’s best in Beauty, Fashion and Shopping.

BEAUTY
The Fragrance Fanatic tells you some great ways to Wear Your Fragrance.

Aging Fabulous introduces us to Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Body Serum.

Beauty Banter asks celebrity makeup artists how to do a white eyelid right… must-have application tips and products for a fierce, summer white eye!

A Touch of Blusher looks at Dior’s fall 2008 makeup collection.

The Scented Life is excited to hear that Justin Timberlake will be the face of Givenchy’s new cologne, Play.

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic finally finds a great concealer that will cover up her undereye area all day! It’s Tarte’s The Eraser!

Beautiful Makeup Search picks out some products from the Shu Uemura 25th Boutique Birthday collection.

Steeping Beauty Gets Smart with Peter Thomas Roth’s Un-Wrinkle Pressed Powder!

FASHION
Wardrobe Oxygen offers some suggestions to give a modern and youthful look to your makeup routine.

The Well-Heeled Society shows you a worthwhile shoe investment, available in a spectrum of colors from Ralph Lauren.

She Knows Best is glad to report that David Arquette has redeemed himself.

Style Tots is giving away a Tutu from Prissy Poofs.

Snarkstress marvels that the potentially future First Lady, Michelle Obama, is an off-the-rack shopper - and is creating quite a frenzy in the process.

The Fashionable Kiffen asks “Denim or Not?”

SHOPPING
Style It Less offers up an Under $100 Look with a belted tunic, jeans and a Christian Louboutin Pumps replica.

Teen Style Lounge invites you to get your cute on with this summery (and cheap!) sundress and accessories outfit from Forever 21.

Have a splendid weekend!

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Tags: beauty, beauty blogs, blogs, community, reads, Splendicity, Splendicty Weekly

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Thanks to Kia from Yummy 411 for the tag!

The rules are posted at the beginning. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leave a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

let’s see, I had been married for 3 years, living in Japan, spending as much free time as humanly possible at Roppongi and mixing it up with the locals, teaching them English Communication.

 2. What are 5 things on my to-do list today? (I’ll do tomorrow because the day is over!)

1. go to the gym for at least 2 classes
2. pack up my gym bag with everything I need for the girls in the childcare and me to shower and get ready for the day
3. go to the beach with the girls
4. get home and start dinner, wait for boy2001
5. mail out the two Netflix Little House on the Prairie Disney movies

 3. Snacks I enjoy: 

German Chocolate Cake, Truffles, Popcorn with Butter/salt, apricots, Sushi

4. Places I’ve lived:

• New York City 19 years
• Key West 2 years
• Miami 1 year
• Japan 4 years
• Maine 8 years

5. Things I’d do if I were a billionaire:
Figure how much I need to put away to get $300,000 in interest annually.  Then I would follow Mr. Howell’s (aka the millionnaire from Gilligan’s Island) lead and board a charter boat with 3 other passengers and bumbling crew members.  If I didn’t do that I would live it up like they did on Dallas, I would take the roll of Miss Ellie and encourage my kids to live at home and dress in silk pantsuits for dinner and get decked out for the most casual of occasions.  Seriously though, I would move to Texas, I’ve been a few times and I can tell you if you’ve got money you can live pretty good there.

6. People I want to know more about: There are so many!  One that has been sticking in my brain has been Rachel who spoke during the Total Beauty Summit about the The Healthy World, Healthy Child Book and site.   We’re probably the same age but she has a wonderful something about her that makes me want to be just like her when I grow up! or at least after I get some sleep…

I’d like to tag the following fabulous bloggers, I think I got a good mix and variety represented so I hope you find something interesting.  If you’d leave your links to your posts that would be great!!

• The Jet Set Girls
• The Super Goddess
• Vanilla Ice
• Vanity Kit
• Mind Over Menopause
• Pinay Wife Speaks

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Tags: beauty, bloggers, blogs, meme, memes, talk, writing

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Congrats to Sameer Mishra Scripp’s 2008 National Spelling Bee Winner!  I was just thinking about words and spelling and I’m intrigued with acronym’s becoming words.  I first noticed it with Payless and BOGO (buy one get one) about 3 years ago.  Now I just noticed L’Oreal uses BIWI (because I’m worth it).  I’m sure there are more out there… 

ILPA - I love pronouncing acronyms

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Tags: acronym, because I-039m worth it, biwi, bogo, L-039oreal, scripp-039s, spelling bee

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The FDA has posted a warning about Mommy’s Bliss Nipple Cream, marketed by MOM Enterprises, Inc.  The product was marketed to help nursing mothers heal cracking nipples from nursing but it has been revealed that some of the ingredients are harmful, specifically chlorphenesin and phenoxyethanol.

Chlorphenesin relaxes skeletal muscle and can depress the central nervous system and cause slow or shallow breathing in infants. Phenoxyenthanol, a preservative that is primarily used in cosmetics and medications, can also depress the central nervous system and may cause vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration in infants. Mothers and caregivers should seek immediate medical attention if their child shows signs and symptoms of a decrease in appetite, difficulty in awakening, limpness of extremities or a decrease in an infant’s strength of grip and a change in skin color.

I’m incredibly shocked by all this, how could something designed specifically for the nursing community cause such harm?  My experience in breastfeeding comes from nursing my three children. I breastfed exlusively until they were about 10 months old and then paired with mushed table foods until 18 months/2 years.  I can’t think of a more rewarding experience.  I continuously thought, why take a chance with plastic bottles and nipples, not to mention formula, when nature has given me all I need.  It takes an extraordinary amount of effort to breastfeed and I truly believe motherhood is a calling because of it. 

At the same time there is little real information out there, I was always skeptical so I steered clear from all of the creams I was sent and given at the hospital.  I mean seriously, my ancestors were not that pampered, I come from tough folk so I was determined to do things the hard way with no intervention and I want to testify that it is possible to overcome.

All three breastfeeding experiences were different, with boy2001 I was bursting with milk, I had to have a collage of towels under me as I slept because if I rolled on my belly I would wake up in a puddle of milk.  Many people use plastic liners which stops the seeping into your mattress but creates a puddle so I prefer about ten thick towels collage style.  Ridiculous but effective, I could just remove the soiled towel(s) the next morning.  I had much less milk with each babe but still more than enough to feed one at a time.

I was blessed to have all three babes at a local hospital that was very small and personal.  The nurse asked me while in labor if I was going to breast or bottle feed and she made a BIG notation that I wanted to breast feed. I had no idea what to expect when they kept coming in shaking me to make me feed. 

They were quite rough and demanding but explained to me that I had to get the milk going.  I was so worried because I didn’t have much milk at first but they assured me if I kept at it there would be no problem.  So, I kept on feeding him and worrying and it hurt and I couldn’t believe the pain and saw no results but he was providing evidence that he was being nourished so I kept on.  The cracks, the soreness and pressure, it was all too much.  The first two weeks was pure agony but I perservered and got through.

I took showers every few hours and rinsed off.  I wasn’t using deodorant much as I nursed on my side on the sofa and in bed and I didn’t want all that chemical smell up their noses… have you noticed how close your armpits are to your breasts??  you can imagine I needed frequent showers.  I also didn’t use anything on my breasts, no soap or cream.   I would bring the baby in with me usually after their belly buttons dried up, as none of my children tolerated being put down and I indulged them and myself and after a few weeks my nipples realized their reality and toughened up and it didn’t hurt anymore. 

The purpose of this post is to make myself available if you have any questions, feel free to comment or email me if you prefer.  I know this is a beauty blog, but I also like to cover health issues, and I feel strongly that this is a very important one for society.  The best thing I found while nursing is less is more.  If your nipples get sore, wash off, pat dry and expose to air and a little sunlight.  (this is also great to combat diaper rash)  Are you going to do this while running around, no, you need some time for yourself until your body can recuperate naturally and then you can re-immerse yourself in the social circuit that also means not answering your door if people drop by unannounced (my pet peeve #1). 

If you’re reading this and are with child or have a new baby congratulations and best wishes!! 

 To the men, this is your time to shine, it’s hard to keep a perfect house, cook dinners, run to the grocery store, snuggle with babes and smile while keeping all the fingernails cut and tracking outfits somewhere between the hamper, machines, diaper bag, dresser drawers or bitty body.  Setting a joyful tone in the home is a great gift my husband sometimes provides and it goes such a long way.  Help when you can, and appreciate the enormity of the undertaking, especially at first but even in the years to come it’s usually not as easy as it may seem.

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Tags: breast, breast feeding, breastfeeding, breasts, cream, FDA, feeding, health, help, maternity, moms, motherhood, natural, nipple, nipple cream, nipples, stay at home moms, warning

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