Obsessions & Secrets

I am a self professed freak about certain things. And today I am letting my freak flag fly. My pet peeve list runs deep. I hate when the toilet paper or paper towels are rolling under rather than over. And please don’t ever let me catch you not washing your hands after you use the bathroom. I hate being friends with people who are nasty & unsanitary. Stop spreading your bodily fluids to other stuff people touch!!! You, my friend, are just disgusting.

All cabinets and drawers must be fully closed but doors must be open or at least cracked (except closet doors and curtains, which also must be fully closed).

Liars & hypocrites. Oh, that is a big one! Not only do you bug me, but I can’t trust a single thing you say. Nor do I feel like it, so don't keep requesting me to.

Repetitive noises drive me nuts, like my husbands whistling or singing the same line of a song over and over and over again. ugh. But somehow the hours of chirps and whistles from my birds didn't bother me at all.. Go figure!

And slow drivers make me IRATE. I have many more, but I have other stuff I have to focus on today so fess up, what's your biggest pet peeve? Spill it!

During my pregnancy my go to product is the Mama Mio Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Butter & or the oil. The yummiest, purest, creamiest, melt-in-your-skin products ever . Mama Mio pregnancy skincare products work because of their very high levels of Omega 3, 6 and 9 to ensure your skin has the best fighting chance against pregnancy stretch marks. One scoop and you’ll know our Tummy Rub Butter deserves every award and accolade it has won. It smells gorgeous, makes you feel gorgeous and is a pleasure to use.

Their amazing distinctive scent is Gravida and it combines ingredients like shea, rose hip, sweet almond oil, vitamin E, borage and wheatgerm oil. The sole purpose of this product is to increase elasticity. Sounds obvious but now more than ever, I need that skin to stretch. In fact, about to enter my final trimester has made my basketball belly as tight as a drum! It absorbs in 20 seconds or less which is impressive given the rich consistency this product offers up with each application. And finally, it helps shrink your stretched tummy post-pregnancy and if that isn’t music to a mama’s ears…I don’t know what is! Guess what else needs the same TLC? The girls. Yup, it’s official. I have been using their "Boob Tube". Think glowy, dewy, firmer and fitter. Did you ever think those words would work in the same sentence as…well, your northern hemisphere? I didn’t but the older I get, I appreciate a multi-tasking product as much as the next gal. It’s official – put these two products on your Spring Beauty Wish List, your skin will thank you! PS They just came out with skin care Yippee!

You’ve seen her work: the girls with big hair, big bags, and big sunglasses. Arms full of bangles, chunky platforms, skinny jeans effortlessly slung on the hips. Flowy, glamorous dresses accented with loads of accessories and a ton of bronzer: this is Rachel Zoe style.

While she’s had a substantial presence in the fashion world for some time, Rachel Zoe has recently gone very mainstream. With a Crackberry of celebrity clients, a best-selling book, and a successful reality TV show, Rachel Zoe has hit the big time. Now, she offers us another glimpse into her stylish world with The Zoe Report–a daily e-mail newsletter featuring Rachel’s “favorite obsessions in the ever-evolving worlds of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle.” Love It:


I’ll be honest–99% of the swag featured in the Zoe Report is crazy expensive, which could be depressing. I say could, however, because happily, Rachel has provided all of us un-blessed with a celebrity bank account with cheaper options to achieve the same style. And they’re cute! Even better, the “parallel universe” items seem to be just as expertly picked as Rachel’s pricier features–they actually look alike. There’s nothing more annoying than a “celebrity look for less” that showcases adorable clothing of the stars and then offers totally ugly cheapy alternatives, so I’ve gotta give Ms. Zoe some props in this area.

Daily Dose of ‘I Die’: It’s not just Rach’s style of fashion that’s unique – her vocabulary is too. So much so, in fact, that a Funny or Die video parodying her speech patterns recently went viral. Not gonna lie, after watching The Rachel Zoe Project, I’ve started using the phrase “I die,” pretty regularly. Don’t even get me started on her use of “shutting it down” or “bananas.” Rachel is both ridiculous and hilarious, so getting my fix of her lexicon before breakfast pretty much ensures a good day. Mostly.

Loathe It:
Items featured: Although Rachel is a style maven, some of the pieces she offers are not exceptionally wearable, or exceptionally cute. Sequined leggings? Hot pink fedora? Really Rachel? Probs not. And while, for the most part, I love her take on accessories and apparel, when Rachel decides to talk “beauty” or “lifestyle” products, I’m inclined to look elsewhere for advice.

Do any of you receive the Rachel Zoe Report? Are you liking it? Let me know your feelings in the comments!
Sign up for The Zoe Report Here

Ashley Owen Hill, an animal rescuer in Mississippi, is a true hero, and I couldn't help sharing her amazing and inspirational story with you. In addition to rescuing and rehoming healthy, adoptable pets, Ashley does something very special for terminally ill dogs who enter the shelter: she takes them home and gives them the very best week of their lives. In some cases, these dogs have never known love before they meet Ashley, but they die knowing that they were finally loved and cherished by their very own extraordinary person.



Please read Ashley's story...I guarantee you'll be inspired. Warning: keep a tissue (or several tissues) handy: this is a tear-jerker.

I am embarrassed to say I buy almost every cream & potion that claims to do something to prevent aging and make your skin glow. I have tried it all..including the famed La mer( The most expensive) , I have the 24/7 freeze which is good for a quick fix but tends to make your foundation ball up. Not a good look. I recently had microermabrasion which made my skin feel soft and supple and My #1 preferred anti aging secret is GRAVELY missed during my pregnancy.. My beloved Botox!~ I was supposed to get my 2nd of my 2 times a year treatment the same week I found out I was preggers:(
So I have been struggling with weight gain, bad skin and wrinkles. poor me. I have some good news for you. I am done searching, done trying & buying. I have found the perfect at home product line and tool. Seriously. i have only used it for 2 weeks and WHAT a difference. I am not saying I won't have my botox injection within 5 min of giving birth( just kidding) , but I will say that this is by far the next best thing. I am officially obsessed.

But even if you’re not red carpet bound, or you don't have aging or problematic skin DDF’s Revolve delivers visible improvement in skin tone and evenness, pore appearance, fine lines, radiance, and brightness. The at-home resurfacing system is shown to be more effective than a professional microdermabrasion. Meaning that at $95 it can save you serious dough on expensive spa treatments and creams (like I said I am done).

The Revolve 400X Micro-Polishing System features a two speed setting with a continuous rotating motion that delivers eight times better exfoliation than a scrub alone. It's microdermabrasion at home!! The light weight, battery operated system can be used anywhere!

Make sure when you order it, you must order the Anti wrinkle pore reducing serum. The perfect consistency, smells so amazing, and my skin feels SO SOFT & SMOOTH! I am done ranting because I have to go scrub my face now! Ps Your welcome~ :)
Order your DDF System here

Alot of pregnancy don'ts I believe are totally overblown reactions, of course (moderation in all things!), but when it comes to the health of your unborn baby–especially your first–you want to do no wrong. I’m a little more moderate in my views, based on all the generations before us and here are a few common pregnancy don’ts that I do.

1. Drink coffee. I did actually give it up for a few weeks in my first trimester. They smell of it turned my stomach. Now that my nausea has stabilized, I find that a half-calf cup of coffee in the morning mixed with milk and a little sugar(normally I prefer it black) pretty much makes my day. If I’m out, I’ll get a small single-shot cappuccino.

2. Eat soft cheeses. I love blue and feta cheese. I know if it's pasturized it's said to be safe. But I can't say for sure all the soft cheese i have eaten out has been pasturized.

3. Dye my hair. I don't do it often but I have 2 times so far during this pregnancy and my midwives said it's fine.

4. Change cat litter~ I have done it every single day for at least 18 years. I did test negative for Toxoplasmosis, what more do I need to do?

5. Eat Sushi. I’ve been eating it for years and never gotten sick, and a blanket ban on raw fish doesn’t really hold up in my mind to millions of healthy Japanese babies, despite sushi being an accepted part of a healthy pregnancy diet in Japan. And I find it thouroughly amusing that only 19 % of Ob's surveyed knew that sushi grade fish is flash frozen prior to slicing and that kills any parasites that are present.

6. I have the occasional glass of wine. I tell people I am pretending I am french. It's only about 1 oz. per week on either Sat or sunday evening. I make it last for at least a half hour with my baby sips! Between my hormones and anxiety I think the baby is better off with me having an occasional drink:)

What about you? What “rules” do you break while pregnant?