Hair Care

It's been forever, Friends. Too long. I don't want to lie and say, "I'm back," but I am trying to be more dedicated to blogging. Mainly, because I really like it. The other part of it is that I like to document things.

Today's post is about hair care. See, though I deny any degree of OCD, I do like for all my things to match. Ya know like the shampoo, conditioner, heat set, hair spray, etc. Yes, I know that sounds crazy. But, I've looked into so many brands that have the whole set of hair care to styling. I've yet to find one that fits. Guess my brain's going to have to learn to live with that one.

Since my search for one brand that meets all my needs has failed, today's focus is really on hair care and not styling. A year or so ago I got pretty involved in actually taking care of my hair and not just grabbing whatever shampoo looked appealing at the time. 

I've tried Tresemme, Dove, Pantene, Sauve, and to save you a bunch of blah-blah, probably everything on the shelf at a Target store. 

Then, the YouTube girl that I follow did a video on her hair care routine. That's when I tried an expensive new shampoo/conditioner and fell in love! The Natural Macadamia Oil brand. 

After trying it I was pretty sure I was a dedicated user, but I decided to stray to try a few other brands before settling. 

I tried some John Frieda shampoo/conditioner that I'd definitely place at the top of my list, but still didn't give me the silky, shiny, feel-good results from the macadamia oil brand.

Next, I tried the Organix brand of Macadamia oil stuff, hoping macadamia oil was really the key. I liked it better than John Frieda, but it still just didn't perform like the competition (however, I would put this as my second choice). 

I actually read in a magazine that Herbal Essences were among the top picks for hair care products. So, I decided to give them go. And let me just say... yuck. My hair felt dry and stiff after a few days of these shampoos - comparatively.

So, I'm returning to my first macadamia oil hair care product. I know they're expensive (20-30 bucks a pop at Target), and of course I'd recommend Amazon over in-store purchases because they're cheaper, but this is the best stuff I've ever used:

I've used the shampoo ($13 on Amazon - caught it for $10 once), moisturizing rinse ($13), and deep repair masque ($17). I'm singing their praises, so if you're interested in giving them a try check 'em out here: shampoo,  moisturizing rinse,  repair masque

BH Cosmetics

Surely it's not a secret that I love makeup. I don't go all out on my makeup on a regular basis, but for special occasions, date nights, and the like I do it up a bit more. 

I've tried several different kinds of makeup. Personally, I think most of the cheap stuff works out just the same. I really like the e.l.f. brand that's super cheap and durable that you can find at Target or the e.l.f. website. 

Today, I'd like to spread the knowledge of BH Cosmetics though! My fabulous little hair/makeup junkie that I follow on YouTube led me to it:

BH Cosmetics

I haven't tried all of their products, but the ones that I have tried I extra love! I think their brushes are amazing! So soft and durable. I purchased their 10 piece deluxe set, caught it on sale for like $21.99, and it's lasted two years now and the brushes are still like new. 

There are so many other brushes and brush sets to choose from as well. I want them all!

Their eye makeup is awesome. They have these large 88 or 120 color palettes that are just amazing deals. I purchased their 120 color palette (3rd Edition) and there were lots of neutral colors that went well with my skin tone, with lots of additional bright colors for highlights. 

They have many of these to choose from, so you can definitely find a color scheme for your complexion. They have different palette sizes for you to specifically choose your own colors for too, if you'd rather.

I always use my $1.00 e.l.f. eyelid primer with these eye shadows and they last all day with no run or crease. 

Those are my favorite two. I've tried their lip gloss palette, which is nice except for it's a big palette. Not easy to carry around and we all know lip gloss doesn't stay on long term. 

The liquid eyeliner pen is so perfect for me, I use liquid eyeliner to line my top lid and those liner pens can get pricey! 

They're only $3.95 here though. 

Long story short, I like their products and they're quite affordable. Especially if you sign up for the emails. They send them too frequently in my opinion, but on a regular basis, the deals you get with them are worth it :)

Homemade Baby Food Basics

I knew for a long time before ever getting pregnant that I'd most likely have the opportunity and chose to be a stay-at-home mom and wife. 

When I had my son, that's exactly what happened. I decided I didn't really have excuses to not breast feed or make baby foods, etc. (p.s. Formula and baby food are expensive, yo?).

I think it's easy to be intimidated by making your own baby food. I know I was anyway. But after making a few batches, I realized it's not difficult at all. 

I even recently did all the math to see if it was really worth it. On average, for the same amount of baby food in store purchased jars (that cost $1 or more - but sometimes less if you catch them on sale), I'm spending $0.20. Now that's a give or take 10 cents kind of thing, but that was the average. 

That's with organic foods as well. You get the peace of mind of knowing your baby isn't getting any processed foods or preservatives. I also like the idea of making that transition to non-pureed foods too. My son won't have to accommodate for a whole new flavor of food again, just a new texture.

I found this pretty helpful resource online: Puree Recipes. 

They have quite a few helpful recipes. But, I wanted to break it down even more simply than that for you. 

Almost any fruit I'm making, I steam it for 20-30 minutes in my dual purpose rice cooker that has a handy steaming basket (here for $24.53). Except for bananas, and they don't have to get cooked. 

Then, I pour it into my food processor (here for $39.99) for about 30 seconds on "chop" then 30 more seconds on "puree" (with 1/4 cup of liquid from steamer). 

Then, tada! Baby food. 

It. Is. That. Easy. 

For vegetables, I sometimes bake or boil depending. I get bags of frozen vegetables that I'll boil for 20 minutes then puree. For potatoes I peel, and slice long ways, wrap in foil then bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes then puree.

All of my puree batches get 1/4 cup of liquid. 

I scrape that mush into ice cube trays, freeze, then pop out into labeled baggies.

I usually spend about half of a day every 2 weeks making food. Of course, you could just make small batches whenever you're cooking your own foods as well. 

A trick I learned for when baby is getting a little older and ready for a little more texture is to mix the food with a mixer instead of pureeing it in the food processor. Just adjust the time you mix for more or less texture.

I also found that there is a brand called Organics that has some peeled and cubed frozen fruit bags. Time saver! I always get the mango this way, because I find it such a pain to peel and slice mango for some reason. 

This is the best picture I found of the brand:

Sometimes I get lucky and find organic squash this way as well.

So... to say it simply:

• Steam/Bake/boil (20-60 minutes)
• Puree (60 seconds)
• Serve fresh or freeze in ice cube trays and store in baggies

iPhone Protector

I finally received my iPhone 5s. It's like magic. Anyone who says there aren't changes or any differences from previous generations would be wrong. I've been using an iPhone 4 for three years and I could already create an impressive lists of improvements.

I'm not here to review the phone though (which would get 5 stars). 

I'm hard on phones. I'm not even sure why. I'm so hard on phones that my cases usually get destroyed and I end up just carrying the phone without anything on it after a few. I just drop them a lot. I knock them off of things. I don't notice it's only half way in my pocket until it's clattered to the ground. Without fail I will spill something on it. I drop them in toilets and sinks.

It's terrible.

My new girl though, she's got to have some protection (and I've got to take better care of her). So I groaned internally and sacrificed the money to ordered a case and screen protector.

I purchased the Spigen SGP Neo Hybrid Case. Of course you know I got it from Amazon (here) for $21.69.

I love the case. It's thin and smooth. I hated my otterbox. I'm sure they really do protect your phone, but they're big and bulky. Also, I hate cases that are rubber-made. Because they're frustratingly difficult to get in and out of my pockets.

The gold trim matches the color of the gold phone perfectly, which was a nice addition in my opinion... since I'm covering it up with a case... 

Very unfortunately, I have already dropped the phone once, while the case was on it. It seems to have done its job.

Spigen makes cases for the Android phones too. If you like thin, light weight, smooth cases... I'd definitely recommend this brand. 

Now, I can't say all that much for durability just yet, but if it does what it claims it will I know I'll be completely happy with this purchase. 

A nice addition to go with this was a screen protector. But, nowadays, those terrible plastic covers aren't what's in. No, now they make tempered glass screen covers, to match the characteristics of your natural iPhone screen while protecting it at the same time.

I was hesitant, but after applying the protector and using for a few days, I'm sold! 

I purchased a KaysCase Tempered Glass Screen protector for $8.00 from Amazon (here).

If you've ever put one of those plastic ones on your iPhone, you know how much I dreaded putting this thing on. 

I cleaned the screen with the alcohol pad and cloth provided. I peeled off the back, revealing the adhesive side and cautiously lined it up with my phone. Then, grabbed the little squeegee ready for a battle to keep it straight and bubble-free. To my surprise, this stiffer glass material laid right down on the phone's screen bubble-free in one easy motion. If for no other reason than that, I'm never getting a plastic one again. 

Also, you might not have noticed the ever so subtle stick you get with your finger glide from the plastic ones, until you've used one of these glass ones. So smooth! 

And, it barely looks like anything is on it! It gets 5 stars from me. 

I would certainly recommend both of these products to anyone looking to protect their phones from natural wear and tear (and to help cushion against the more extreme - even if accidental - abuse). 

Baby Carriers

Baby carriers, what can I say... wonderful idea, bad designs. Some people swear by them, but I've yet to find one that works well for me. 

We have tried the Moby Wrap (get it here for $47.95). 

I think this one in particular, is ridiculously expensive for what it is. I think there is too much hassle involved as well. I'm sure with some practice you'd acquire the skills necessary to quickly and effectively put this on, but still, it's just too much for me. Not to mention all the tutorials showing you the million and one ways to wrap your baby up in it. Of course, if you do indeed conquer some of these, you can carry your baby in a variety of ways.  

Ah'pass.

We have the Infantino Union Ergonomic Carrier (here for $23.54).

This one isn't too bad, actually. It's not that comfortable, but then again, carrying a baby isn't all that comfortable. I feel like my baby gets too hot every time he's in this one though. Red cheeks, and clammy hair, poor thing. The straps aren't complicated at all, there are several buckles on it, maybe more than necessary, but at least you have control over several areas of the carrier. It's easy to get on and off. And all the straps have nice little band wraps on them to prevent the leftover strap from just hanging. You can carry the baby on your back with this one, but the baby cannot face outward. 

We purchased an Ergo for one day before returning it (here for $135.00).

I thought this was the most comfortable carrier I'd ever put on. I'm not sure what it is about this fabric and this design, but carrying my baby in it didn't feel all that uncomfortable. Of all the carriers we used, this would be my chosen one. There are only two snap buckles on it, for effortless on/off. There's that handy little pouch there for some personal items. It has the snap up flap to cover baby's head. My back didn't even hurt wearing this one! You can also carry the baby on your back with this one, but not outward facing.  

That said, of course it would be the one my baby screamed nonstop while in. I have no idea what the issue was. Especially seeing as how the positioning of your baby in this carrier isn't all that different from that Infantino one. I really have no clue what the problem was, we tried a few times (both me and dad), our little one would absolutely not ride in it.

We purchased two separate Chicco carries. First, the Chicco Ultrasoft Magic Infant Carrier (here for $84.24).

This carrier, is meh. It does have a nice lumbar support in it, but it's a little too difficult to put on. I mean, c'mon, you slip it over your head and snap... doesn't sound difficult, but the added lumbar feature somehow makes it more of a challenge than it should be. You cannot wear your child on your back in this carrier, but they can either face you or outward. My little one liked facing outward, but the straps and flaps make it so awkward for that. First, the flap wouldn't stay folded down like it's suppose to. So, that meant half of my baby's face kept getting covered up by it. Secondly, the straps that go nearest to baby's arms won't tighten enough to keep my baby straightened to satisfaction. Meaning, my baby was slouching so far forward I felt that if I bent at all he could slip right out. 

Ah'pass. 

The second Chicco carrier we got is also my second favorite (here for $99.99). It's the Chicco Smart Support Backpack. 

This rather bulky carrier, is awesome in my opinion. Sure, it looks like me and the hubs could give each other piggy back rides with it, but it is effective. It's also excellent for longer carries. Like if you're hiking or going to the zoo, etc. I love that his seat is like it's own separate thing. I love that the baby isn't touching you in it (I know that sounds awful, but sharing body heat makes everyone hot sometimes). It has a nice kickstand on it that lets it be a seat for your child to be in even when you're not carrying them. This also makes for easy on/off. 

The seat itself wasn't all that heavy and it has a weather cover, canopy, and included zipper pouches.

I would say your little one probably does need to be sitting up well on their own before being able to be in this carrier though.

Hopefully, it's needless to say that we've yet to find a carrier that we would highly recommend or swear by. But the bulky one is my current preference. 

Tommee Tippee Monitor & Sensor Pad

We use the Tommee Tippee Digital Video Sensor Pad Monitor. You can get it here on Amazon for $269.90. 

We caught it on sale at Toys R' Us for $179.00 though.

The basic function here is that you place the rectangular sensor pad under the crib mattress, then, sleep your baby on the mattress in the same location as the sensor pad. The sensor pad detects movement from a baby's breathing. If no movement is detected for 20 seconds an alarm sounds from the unit in the baby's room and the parent unit until movement is detected again.

The parent unit is very good in my opinion. The display is clear, even during night view. It also has a variety of useful functions on it. Like the temperature in the baby's room, battery life, signal, the brightness of the nightlight from crib unit (adjustable from parent unit), volume of sound, a small green light that flashes in sync with detected movement, etc. 

There's also a large amount of customization from the parent unit:

• Screen Brightness level
• Optional tick tone (that will sound ticks in sync with movement detected)
• Volume Sensitivity (Because there isn't constant sound feedback from baby's room, instead you can set the sensitivity on a scale of 1-5 and only hear when the baby makes a noise. A very high sensitivity would let you hear so much as a grunt, or a low sensitivity for only if the baby is crying.)
• Vibration (handy vibration mode, for when you don't want to hear all those little grunts or whimpers and the unit will just vibrate when baby cries)
• Nightlight (nightlight on crib unit is adjustable from parent unit)
• Camera Zoom (you can zoom the camera from the crib unit and move it by small increments)
• Mic (for talking to baby)

 The camera crib unit is also very functional. The camera does have a generous amount of up and down tilt to get the best view, the sensory pad setting is just a sliding switch on the back with three sensitivity settings, as well as the on/off switch for the sensor pad. 

I would like to dispute some of the things from Amazon reviews now. 

I did not find the setup difficult at all. The sensor pad has a cord that runs to the crib/camera unit. The crib/camera unit has a power cord. So, you've got those two cords. 

There is some annoying software connections that take some manipulating, but you can operate the camera without using the sensor pad if you wish. You just have to disconnect the sensor pad cord from the crib/camera unit and make sure you have the sensor pad switch turned to the off position.

It is true, that if you are using the sensor pad you do have to turn the parent unit off before turning the crib unit off or picking up the baby. Because, it's streaming the movement detection to the parent monitor, so if you don't turn it off when you pick up the baby, or turn it off before the crib unit, then the parent unit alarms because it isn't detecting movement (which to be fair, is just doing its job). However, another quick way around that is to just click out the sensor pad cord before picking up the baby (it's really not hard). But, yes, if you do not click out the cord you do have to turn the parent unit off, then the crib/camera unit, then get the bundle of joy. Which, even so, isn't hard work. I mean, you're flicking switches...  

As you can see here, the cords are just right under the unit and very easily accessible. 

This picture, brings me to another point. The crib/camera until is difficult to place. It seemingly needs to sit on a shelf of some sort. But, with a little creative thought I worked it out ;)  Like most camera products this device has a tripod screw in the bottom of it.

I purchased this small flexible tripod for $13 (at the time, now price varies based on color), and it clings securely to the corner of the crib.

As for the alarms? We did get a lot of false alarms in the first few months. I found it was really important to make sure the baby's lung area is placed right over the sensor pad. However, I also found that as our baby gained weight, we started getting fewer and fewer alarms. I'm sure it wildly depends on the size of you baby and thickness of your crib mattress. 

I personally, will take the false alarms over the alternative. Our baby did display some clear signs of sleep apnea in the beginning anyway. So, truth is, it might not have even been a false alarm. Our baby really might not've taken a breath for 20 seconds and the alarm could've startled them awake enough to pick it back up.

It's the only alarm we've used, and it has room for improvement. But, here we are, 8 months later sill using it. 

A great item to go along with a sensor pad is the Safe T Sleepwrap (get it here for $99.00).

Prop 'R Shopper

I think every single time I go out with the baby, I get asked about my cart cover. 

I particularly love the one we chose because of those nice big cushions surrounding your baby. I do wish they were a little bigger though or somehow adjustable, because my lazy boy will just drift over to one side. Granted, he couldn't really do that at all with no cushions. Win some, lose some. 

We purchased our Leachco Prop 'R Shopper from Amazon (of course - get it here) for $21.99. Apparently, we caught it on sale as I recently noticed the regular price is $36.00.

It's worked out on almost all carts we've used it on. I have noticed that the carts at most Target stores do have a higher back on the seating part, and sometimes the little back pocket flap can't really be utilized, but it's still functional even so.

The perks are the nice side cushions, two velcro straps that dangle from the front for toys, a velcro front to cover cart handle, and two pockets on the back flap.

There is a buckle that snaps around baby, but don't forget to wrap it around the little bars of the seat or else when baby leans forwards there's nothing restricting them. It duals as a nice carrying handle too. 

It's the only cart cover we've ever tried, but I'm satisfied with it and would certainly recommend it.