SUMMER SHRIMP SALAD

Have you ever craved shrimp, but didn't know what to make and you really didn't want shrimp cocktail or shrimp and pasta? This one is for you. It's my take on Aguachile (Google this) and it is so yummy and absolutely perfect for the Summer!

It's lemony, spicy, so yummy and healthy, you seriously cannot go wrong with this dish. Also, it would be perfect as an appetizer and paired with a good beer!

I have been making this for Jack and I pretty often as it is pretty simple with not many ingredients. Every single time I make it, Jack cannot stop talking about it. It's so good.

You'll need:

This makes about 4-5 servings, but trust me, once you make it, you'll want to eat way more than just one serving.

• 2 bags of uncooked jumbo shrimp- try to get the ones already deveined without the shell. It makes life so much easier especially when you have kids.
• 2 cucumbers- sliced and in quarters.
• 2-3 tomatoes- depending on size. I used 3 Roma tomatoes.
• 2-3 serrano chilies or jalapeño if that's what you prefer. We love serranos because they're spicier. Sliced thinly.
• Cilantro bunch- we love cilantro and I put a decent amount here.
• 3/4 of a red onion- julienned
• The juice of 4-5 big limes, more if you like lemony things like we do.
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce

Thaw raw shrimp, once thawed with the shell and tail off, I like to clean them as much as I can, I then take my paring knife and butterfly them a bit more. Cook them in boiling water until fully cooked but still a little tender.

In a casserole, combine all veggies, lime juice and spices. Add the shrimp and mix thoroughly without mushing the tomato. Refrigerate for about 2 hours. The longer the shrimp and veggies marinate in the lime juice and chilies, the better it will taste! If you make this once, I guarantee you you will make it part of your menu.

I hope you like this! Let me know if you tried it. :)

THE PERFECT MARGARITA

If you saw my post on Instagram, you saw this margarita that I made on Saturday. I have been using the same recipe for years with the addition of one ingredient recently that honestly takes it to the next level, for me at least.

What I like about this recipe is that on the rocks or frozen, it tastes good no matter what and it is also fool proof! Margarita's are pretty much the only mixed drink I like as I like salty an spicy over sweet any day. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 shot of tequila- I like Hornitos Plata (clear tequila) but find the one you like and use that one. Makes 2 margaritas.

Triple Sec- Add this to your taste

Lime juice- I use one big lime for this and also to salt the rim of my glasses. You can use lemon but the acidity of lime is stronger, goes better with margaritas in my opinion.

Salt- just a pinch.

A splash of orange juice- I know this part sounds weird but trust me, you'll love it.

The secret ingredient is club soda or mineral water, whatever you want to call it! A splash of this makes the margarita just a tad carbonated and it is amazing. I use Topo Chico, a Mexican brand and the best when it comes to a fully carbonated club soda. The other brands truly don't compare.

Mix everything in a shaker with ice and pour in glass. I had to use a glass from Mexico which I'm in love with! And well, makes the margarita taste so good. ;)

Also, I was out of Tajin but I absolutely love this on the rim of my glass! Mix this with the salt and 

your drink will look prettier and taste better. 

Make this for a holiday, a cookout with friends, or when it's so hot outside and you need something to take you to a cooler, better place. Like the beach, or the pool! Think Summertime!

If you try this, please let me know how you liked it!! :) Have a fantastic week! 

UPDATED // SKIN CARE ROUTINE

After my pregnancy with Oliver, my skin went crazy hormonal and I started breaking out a lot more than I used to. As I mentioned in my previous skin care post, transitioning back to work made my skin go through hell and back. All the stress plus hormones were definitely not a good combination.

I was using milder drug store products, then I realized if I wanted products that worked, I had to do more research. These are my holy grail products right now, and I am so glad I found them. I've been using them for about two months and have seen a pretty good improvement on my skin.

At night, I still use the Simple Micellar makeup removing wipes. I feel that if I don't remove my makeup before cleansing my face with any sort of wash, I'm rubbing the makeup around instead of getting rid of it. I then use the Mario Bedescu Acne Facial Cleanser to get rid of any residue left that the wipes did not remove. You need just a little more than a pea sized drop which makes it last forever! I still use my Solo Mio Face Cleanser Brush with the face cleanser. I use a tiny little drop of The Body Shop Tea Tree Nigh Lotion and it smells like spa! You have to get used to the smell but once you do it smells amazing. I do this three to four times a week and the other days I cleanse with a milder cleanser and use jojoba oil as my night moisturizer.

During the week, I wash my face in the shower and exfoliate a couple of times a week using this St. Ives scrub that I have been using for years and love. Once out of the shower, I apply a pea sized amount of The Body Shop Tea Tree Mattifying Lotion to my face. It seriously keeps my skin matte all day with a hint of a glow! This is also drying and when using it, I add a bit of my regular moisturizer and it still works great. I alternate and a couple of days I use my moisturizer only.

Since seeking to go natural with a lot of products we use at home, I wanted a good toner without all the chemicals. I found a use for my ACV by mixing one cup of water with one tablespoon of the ACV. I used a glass spray bottle to keep some in my bathroom and I spray it on a cotton ball and use it on my face a couple of times a week after cleansing at night.

All of these changes have helped my skin tremendously! Also, these are a bit more expensive than drug store products but they still won't break your bank! I want to try more of these two brands. Do you have any favorites?

Have an amazing weekend and have a happy Mother's Day!

FUN IN THE SUN

Summer is here! Maybe not officially, but with temperatures reaching 90 degrees already, outdoor fun is a must. This year we have sworn that we will be spending a lot of time in our backyard and doing fun outdoor activities. Yesterday was our first day and we loved it!

We got this pool for them a while ago and have been waiting for hotter weather to use it. It was a little windy and I only put Oliver in it for a little while and Elliot didn't last very long once he got completely soaked but it's such a fun pool! Once we are in the hundred's it will be perfect. The sun here is pretty strong though and protecting my kids is a must. I received these swim shorts and shirts from SwimZip and I love them! The prints are really nice and the quality is so good. They are so soft and protect my kids from harmful UV rays. My mind is at peace! 

We cannot wait to make popsicles, have water balloon fights, sprinkler runs and lots more pool fun! What fun Summer activities do you have planned?

Have a great week! 

ADJUSTING TO TWO KIDS

The other day I was watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians, I know, don't judge, and Kim said something that resonated with me. In conversation with her mom, she said they were talking about having multiple kids and she mentioned that her mom said "one kid is one, two kids are like twenty." I couldn't agree more!

Isn't it funny how life changes so drastically from no kids, to one kid, to two kids? Now Jack and I say how easy it was with one kid and when we had one kid, we thought our lives were complicated and rushed. We had no idea what was in store for us.

This is not to say that we don't love our kids more than anything in this world, but boy it's challenging. Being working parents and truly always rushing through life is hard! Our kids are almost four years apart and though this may seem like a long gap to some, I find that this is perfect for us. Elliot helps us in small ways but huge to us. Now that Oliver is rolling over like a roly poly, forgetting a diaper when changing him is an accident waiting to happen. I'll ask Elliot to bring me one and those small favors are awesome!

The harder parts are when although Elliot is older, he still doesn't understand why Oliver needs a little more attention sometimes, or how come I don't have eight arms. If you're a mother to more than one, you know that when your kids need something at the same time and screaming for it is like grabbing a baseball bat, laying your forehead on it, then spinning it on the ground twenty times then trying to get stuff done after. Okay maybe a little extreme but sometimes it feels that way.

Also, brotherhood ensues. Elliot will be lying down drinking milk and Oliver is next to him pulling on his cup, or his hair, or his shirt, or whatever he can get his little hands on and Elliot will whine and complain that his brother is bothering him. It always makes me laugh and I secretly love it. Then other days, Elliot will pretty much lay his entire body on top of Oliver to kiss and hug him and I have to remind him that Oliver is still so little and fragile. If he knew what's to come as siblings! For us as well since they are both still so little and we've been doing this two kid thing for a very short period of time.

Now that Oliver is seven months old, I feel that we have found a groove that works for us. We have our morning routines during the week down finally and we each know exactly what we need to do. Same thing with coming home and bed time. It took us a while to figure it out and things still get out of control sometimes, we are still always rushing, but for the most part, we have a pretty good routine. It's all about doing what works for your family and definitely having a schedule to do things, especially for you kids' bedtime routine, we put Oliver to bed an hour to an hour and half before Elliot to be able to spend time with him one on one. Having support from your significant other is so important. If I make dinner, Jack cleans up, if he makes dinner, I clean up. Little things like that matter so much when it comes to keeping your sanity. These two boys are the best of brothers and love each other so much, makes all of the craziness definitely so worth it! I'm sure this will have to change again as our kids get older, but for now, this is what works for us. If you want to know more about our routines, let me know!

WHY I'M A WORKING MOM

About four years ago, when I was pregnant with Elliot, another manager in my company approached me and asked me if I planned to stay home after giving birth. I said no, I needed to work for myself and because I actually had to as my husband and I needed the income.

After having Elliot, the same manager, came to my office and told me "why don't you quit and stay home with your baby? You should be home with him" Honestly, I really did want to. I was a new mom and I wanted to be home with my baby, but it wasn't something we could do. We struggled in the beginning of our marriage, we both had low paying jobs and could barely afford rent for a 500 sq ft apartment. Once we both found our careers, it's something we wanted and needed to keep going to be able to purchase a home and have a stable source of income from both sides.

Anyway, fast forward to my maternity leave with Oliver. I really, really prayed and wished I could stay home. This time it hit me really hard! Why couldn't I? We could make it work right? Four months at home with two kids taught me that in order for ME, (MYSELF, I am not speaking for anyone else here) to have a balanced life, a happy life, I need to work. I never thought these words would come out of my mouth! Of course there are days when I would LOVE to be home with them to make them breakfast, play with them, care for them and I'm sure I'm going to always have those days because I always miss them like crazy, but working makes me feel so good. It might sound selfish but think about it this way, working makes me happy, which in return, makes my kids happy because their mom is happy. Does that make sense? I'm not sure if I'm cut out to be a stay at home mom because that job is freaking hard. The HARDEST. My hat is off to you ladies who are stay at home moms.

Of course there's that other little thing about having to work called bills, mortgage, car payment that matters too. I'm not one of those moms who could make it work. My husband and I have talked about it, put numbers on paper, and right now is just not feasible for us and I'm okay with that. This probably plays a big part in why this is my mentality and the way I feel, but if and when finances allowed, I would still give this whole SAHM good and long thought.

The other day I read a post (from a working mom) (!!!) that she didn't want to pay daycare to raise her kids anymore. Say what?! I cannot believe that in this day and age, moms still think that, about themselves nonetheless! I certainly do not think that daycare is raising my kids at all. We teach them morals, values, and give them guidance and love at home.

As women, we are allowed to have careers and we are still fully capable of raising kids that are smart, strong and have good morals. It's a matter of balancing career and home life, and being able to spend quality time by making time for the things that matter. The dishes can wait till the end of the day so we can play with our kids. Laundry can take one more tumble in order for us to read our kids a book at bed time (let's be real it stays there overnight most of the time). Weekend chores can wait till next weekend to be able to catch a Sunday baseball game or a zoo trip. Elliot is more than happy when I sit down on the floor with him and play cars, "mens" as he calls playing with little superhero figures, his Peppa Pig house or help him make a Lego castle out of the tiniest Lego's in all of the land while Oliver plays on his play mat or he's on my lap while Elliot shows him his toys. I still completely suck at it sometimes and lose my shit, but my kids are happy and healthy (and alive!!). This mom and parent thing is hard no matter what you do and how you do it, but it is the best in the world! We do talk about me staying home with the kids one day, but we will see what the future has in place for us!

C-SECTION RECOVERY & WHY I CHOSE IT AGAIN

I'm pretty sure that if you've had a c-section, you've read all these ridiculous articles about being less of a mom if you had one. I am also pretty sure that it's something we definitely didn't have in mind when having our first baby. It's not really something you choose the first time around. I think that in these articles, other judgmental moms think that we said "Yes! Please cut me open to get my baby out, no biggie" Right? I know I didn't.

I think that this is because we have instilled in our heads as a society that birth entails unmedicated, painful, pushing, sweating mother, husband by her side, legs up in the air birth.

I have written about my birth experience with my oldest son. I had an emergency c-section due to his heart rate dropping with every contraction. It's not something I chose, not what I had in mind, but something I immediately agreed to upon hearing that my baby was in distress. Recovery wasn't easy but I did it.

With my second pregnancy, I was so torn between a VBAC and a second c-section. I truly wanted to experience that other side of birth. The pushing, getting your baby right away for skin to skin, no doctor cutting you in half and being able to be released sooner.

When I asked my doctor if a natural delivery was possible he said I was a good candidate for it, the only downside was that it wouldn't be at my hospital of choice and not with my doctor. If I went into labor, I would have to go in and go with the doctor on call for that day. I was uncomfortable with that. Going to a brand new doctor, in a new hospital to deliver my baby just didn't feel right to me. Also, I could still end up having a c-section and to me, it just didn't make any sense to make that decision.

I ended up scheduling a second c-section. I wrote about that experience in this post. The funny thing is that I delivered two weeks early and I was so glad to have gone with the choice I made. I went to my hospital and was already registered. My doctor was called in right away and the process was pretty smooth.

I will say that recovery with a second c-section was a lot harder for me. I knew exactly what to expect but it was very painful and it took me a very long time to recover. Some key things I did were to not lift ANYTHING heavy, the only thing I was allowed to pick up was my baby. Jack, my mom and sister were so adamant about this and really helpful. I didn't carry the car seat anywhere, I didn't pick Elliot up at all (I felt awful about this) and took it really slow. I gave myself the time to recover though this statement is not entirely true as there's almost no way to do that with two kids, I'll say I did this as much as I could under the circumstances. It was much easier with Elliot since I was able to rest a ton. During this time with Oliver, I was so glad to have an extra four weeks off. My incision would not heal in the middle and it was driving me insane! Finally with the help of Neosporin and saline spray it closed after about 4.5 months. Take care of your incision, always keep it clean and dry! Say YES to help. It might make you feel like you should be doing everything, but you're recovering from surgery. Say yes!! Lie down with your baby and relax! I would throw a movie on or play with Elliot's toys on our bed while holding my baby. The most important, enjoy your tiny baby! Smell them, hold them, kiss them and stare at them all day. They grow out of that stage way too fast.

I am finally at the point where I can do mild workouts which are much needed in my case for energy and weight loss. This second pregnancy and recovery from delivery were the most difficult, but as any mama would say, it was all worth it and would do it all over again!

If anyone tells you that you're less of a mother because you had a c-section and you "didn't do it the natural and real way" do NOT listen to them! You were cut open! Things such as sneezing and coughing felt like lying on a bed of nails and recovering from this while caring for a baby is hard. Walking, lying down, sitting up seem impossible at first and taking a shower? PAINFUL. Your husband isn't able to be there with you when you go through the epidural or spinal tap process to hold you or tell you it's going to be okay through painful contractions. The way you birth your kids should not matter. What matters is how we raise them and how we love them and guide them through life!



If you're going to have a c-section, do not be scared. Yes it's painful and scary but you can do it!! :)