Favorite Everyday Beauty Picks

Today, I am revealing my favorite beauty picks! I tend to mix beauty products...I use some nicer ones from department stores and other grocery store products. The ones I have from the grocery store are all products that I love and have used for years, like the Revlon, Nearly Naked foundation. 

You can click the product directly below and it will take you directly to the link! --totally excited about this, by the way~ ;) 

The Laura Mercier eye primer is a total game changer that allows your eye makeup to last all day with no smudge. This may be one of my, "I can't live without products".

The Clinique Bronzer is one my faves as well! I have been using it for years. and never get tired of it. It gives just the right about of "bronze look without making you look orange.

The Sugar lip balm is amazing to keep your lips hydrated!! I loooooove the way it makes my lips feel!! And I love the different color options that are available. 

The Nars Blush I use in "orgasm" color gives just the right amount of pink on your cheeks. 

The Revlon Colorburst Matte is a new fave. It's a quick lip balm with just the right amount of color!! And with a grocery store price it's even better! 

I have used Revlon foundation for years. The Color Stay and the Nearly Naked are both great options! The Color Stay lasts a little longer and Nearly Naked is great for lighter coverage. 

And my all time "go to" Essie color is Ballet slippers. This is the color I've been using on all my style posts lately. It looks clean, it's classic and is versatile. Couldn't be more perfect!!

xoxo

Elda 

style || orange is the new pink

It's no secret yours truly loves a good maxi dress. This one is one my faves! It's been on repeat and probably will be for the rest of the summer. I just can't get enough of the bright colors and the embroidery! What more can you ask for in a dress?

As a mom, maxi's with the little ones are a must in my book. They hide, you look put together, are comfortable and you don't have to worry about some hanky panky accidents, if you know what I mean. Having two toddlers at the same time, one thing I have learned is that it is better to be comfortable ;). 

dress (Marshalls find) || earrings || bag (similar, similar)

xoxo

Elda 

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday Friends and happy first day of the long weekend celebrating America!!

I'm back today with Friday Favorites with Andrea and the girls!!

ONE. It's been a tough week for us...getting back from nice relaxing weekend. Thankfully it was short one. Earlier this week I re-capped our adult getaway to Hutchinson Island. In case, you missed it you can find the post here! 

Also, I am wayyy late in the game reading this book but it's sooooo funny!! Totally recommend it, if by any chance you haven't read it! 

TWO.  My mom came in town and stayed with the kiddos and she stayed a few extra days after we got back. She left Wednesday morning but the littles are missing her like crazy. Olivia keeps asking "Where'd Abu went?" 

THREE. Avocado Toast with an egg on top is my new favorite breakfast. It has so many vitamins, lots of protein and not to mention good fats. It's been on repeat. 

FOUR. I've been trying to eat more salads again this week and substituting carbs at dinner time with veggies. I made this salad for lunch yesterday. (I won't tell you how many coconut-chocolate cookies I just ate as I'm writing this ;)--the struggle is real. 

FIVE. Gustavo starts swimming lessons next week...kind of a mix of emotions. I'm excited slash scared for him because he is currently pretty terrified of the pool. The ocean he loves but the pool is a totally different ball game. Keep us in our prayers--as I won't be allowed to go near the pool area while he is in class. 

My mom took them for ice cream while she was here and oh boy...this guy ordered chocolate chip ice cream with gummy bears and m&m's. talk about sugar overload. But hey, that's what grandma's are for right?

SIX. Last week I linked-up my style post with the girls at The Creative Closet and this week I was the featured blogger! It was so sweet of Jana! Thanks for having me Jana!! You can click here for the feature! Scroll down to the bottom and there I am! 

SEVEN. I am loving this watermelon romper I found for O. a Walmart find---score. Ummm it's definitely on repeat. She loves it and so do I. so it's a win, win. We all know dressing a two year old always involves a battle and tears- either on her end or mine. 

EIGHT. I posted a little last minute holiday momma and mini style inspiration,  yesterday!! The kids and I had so much fun with this! The full post is here.

Hope you have a great long weekend with your families!! 

xoxo

Elda 

Friday Faves

Well y'all it's the first Friday of Summer break and this momma has officially survived! I've put a little routine together for us with some fun summer activities that some local places are hosting this Summer so hopefully it will be enough to get by. 

I would say we had a pretty successful week together!

I am linking up again with Andrea for her weekly Friday Favorites link-up. Here are a few things I am loving this week. 

ONE. This week I was on a healthy kick...started eating healtheir for the 15th time. I pulled together this salad for lunch on Monday and every other day this week I have had a different variation of the same salad. im hooked. I posted the recipe here just in case you missed it ;)

TWO. I started using using this oatmeal face scrub this week. it's amazing. and the best part is that it is homemade with all natural/ organic products. no chemicals. it leaves my skin feeling amazing. she is local here in South Florida but you can find it here. 

THREE. This week we took advantage of a deal, one of our local movie theaters is having for Summer...$1 movies. Of course, they're movies that have been out for awhile but it's a reason to get out of the house for a couple hours and they're on a giant screen. I figured we wouldn't have a lot to loose if we slowly started trying to go, so they could get used to it. so we went. we lasted about an hour. but hey we got out of the house. Hoping next week we will last a little longer. 

(Olivia looks sooo big in this picture--they look like they could be twins)

FOUR. Neon. I am on a neon kick. obsessed with color. I wore this one day this week. too much neon? 

FIVE. I braved Old Navy yesterday with G & O and I could say it was pretty successful. they behaved soooo well. I went prepared with plenty of snacks and our tablet with movies, as last resort but I didn't even have to use it. and I came across this light, airy shirt dress. win win. Gus requested royal blue flip flops so we grabbed them ;) 

Happy Weekend!! 

xoxo

Elda 

5 min.Prep Southwest Salad

I have been trying to eat healthier, as I have come to realize I am in a mid twenties body crisis. (aka time to head to the gym) My body was in a teeny bopper stage (or at least I would like to think so)  for a couple years after giving birth but yeah. Things are changing. It may have a lot to do with the fact I am just as satisfied eating my toddler's leftover lunch of dino chicken nuggets or mac and cheese to save time and effort. or just flat out being lazy. 

I have also been trying to make an effort to buy less canned goods. Too many chemicals. 

Yesterday, for lunch I whipped up this quick Southwest Salad. I had made fresh black beans a couple days ago-- btw these are awesome to have cooked in your fridge and make a quick side addition to any meal or side addition. They have high nutritional values. 

Southwest Salad

Ingredients

Fresh Spinach 

1/4 of a whole tomato (diced)

1/2 of an Avocado 

1/3 cup of black beans

Shredded Cheese (Taco Style)

Makes 1 salad. 

Make sure you rinse all of your veggies. Cut the avocado into squares. Cut the tomato into squares. Serve enough spinach to where it covers the plate you are using. (A generous portion) Then just place all the toppings over the spinach. And Vuala. 

You can also add a piece of grilled Salmon or Chicken over the top of the salad for some extra protein. 

Bon Apetite. 

xoxo

Elda 

Style || Summer Trends for Kids

This year's summer trends are involving lots of embroidery, tassels and pom poms and for little girls it's no different. I picked a few faves from one my favorite stores...J crew. Now that Gus and Olivia are practically in kids sizes (where did my babies go?! I can't believe this is happening and it's giving me bad case of baby fever!!) I can finally shop at crew cuts for them!! eeekkkk!! Can you sense the excitement?! 

All of these picks are from the Online Factory Store -- which by the way is amazing!!!  

Once again, I am a sucker for color. love the brights. I also love what they did with the regular chino shorts --making them more feminine by adding ruffles. Genius. Lots of colored shorts that you can mix and match with almost any of the tops below!

1 || 2 || 3

4 || 5 || 6

7 || 8 || 9

And well, for the boys, Navy is always in. at least at our house. Gus is going through a phase where he only wants to wear blue. But lots of colored shorts and seersucker --which are two faves of mine. I think Gus has has a pair of seersucker shorts every summer since he was born. And it's such a neutral! You can easily pair it with almost any color. 

1 || 2 || 3

4 || 5 || 6

7 || 8 || 9

What are some of your favorite Summer trends for your kids?!

xoxo

Elda 

Mother's Day + Prayers

Happy late Mother's Day to all the wonderful mama's out there! We spent our Mother's Day weekend in Orlando with my Sister in law and her two kiddos. 

We visited Mickey and Minnie Saturday--that was long and exhausting but we had a blast! I dont know how people do Disney World for a whole week. I'm still getting over one single day at Magic Kingdom. 

Sunday we had a quick Mother's Day brunch and headed back to Miami and relaxed the rest of the day. it was perfection. well close to it. 

One thing motherhood has taught me is that nothing will ever be perfect or go as planned. And that's why sometimes you just have to go with the flow---that's one of the hardest things for me. I'm a planner. 

You need an extra dose of patience for everything and lots and lots of caffeine. LOTS. oh and wine. I've learned to multitask to the extreme sometimes doing 3 things at once. 

But that's why I try to savor every moment that matters when your little ones are young. These moments only come once. And come and go so quick. 

It really is also one of the most sacrificing, yet rewarding things a woman will ever experience in life. 

Real quick before I close up for today...Please keep my family in your prayers. My dad is going in for a hopefully simple procedure Thursday. Please pray that everything goes smoothly without any complications. I am confident everything will turn out fine and God has a plan for everything. 

xoxo

Elda 

Mom Style: Blush + Destroyed Denim

 Let's talk favorite Spring trends...Distressed Jeans and blush pink are pretty up there on the list of my faves right now!!! Well, pink is always a favorite for me. Who am I kidding? and you cant forget my favorite leopard print mom bag that goes everywhere with me ;). literally. 

Distressed jeans are so easy to dress down or dress up.  Just add a pair of heels and a clutch for a casual date night and you're set! 

This is how I styled my distressed denim for a morning of Strawberry picking with G and O...

What are your favorite Spring trends right now?

xo

Elda 

Celebrating Moms // 15 things I Love about Motherhood

(There is something I love about this picture...I know my eyes are closed and Olivia isn't looking at the camera but there's just something about it...I think it's Gus's face and the way he has his arm around me ;)

This week I am celebrating motherhood over here!! This week it's all about us, moms! 

Yes, motherhood is tough. I won't deny it. It is one of the hardest thing, in my opinion a woman has to do. It brings so much joy yet so many tears all at the same time. It's almost something that words can't explain. 

I have put a little list together of 
15 things I absolutley {love} about motherhood! 
Here we go...

1. You will have someone to love you unconditionally for the rest of your life. There is nothing like a child's love for his mother and a mother's love for her child.

2. You will laugh and cry all in the same sentence. 

3. There will never be a dull moment. ever. 

4. Every time you look at your child, you think they are more beautiful than the moment before. 

5. There is no greater feeling of satisfaction and happiness than the one where your baby or child looks at you with a smile on his face or giggles at you. 

6. You will never be alone. You will always have a companion, even in the bathroom. I promise

7. You will always have someone to love unconditionally. No. matter. what. 

8. The bond you have with each of your children. Only YOU have that special bond with them. 

9. You learn what is really important in life. Pick your battles.

10. You really learn a lot about yourself, as you see your children growing. I always hear Gus reprimanding Olivia, just how I reprimand him. It's like I always have an echo. You start to see yourself in your children's actions and mannerisms. 

11. Cuddles. They are never-ending!

12. It's so rewarding! It's the best feeling when you hand your child something and he replies "Thank You, Mommy!". I love that!

13. No day is ever the exact same as the day before!

14. Random hugs and smooches! and "I wove you's"

15. The bond you have with other mothers! You develop a 6th sense that only another mother can understand it. It's really truly amazing and a beautiful thing!

What do you love about motherhood?

Mommy & Me Headband Feature // Willow Crowns

Happy Monday!

 I hope you and your beautiful families had a fantastic weekend! 

I'm kicking off this Mother's Day week with a fabulous shop feature...Willow Crowns. I have been working on this collaboration for some time and I am honored to have been able to work with these two talented ladies... Megan from Willow Crowns and Natalie from Natalie Atick Photography! I was thrilled when both these ladies agreed to this collaboration! 

I'm sure by you know how much I love supporting small businesses. I especially love supporting those run by stay-at-home mommies who run these small shops in order to be able to stay home and raise their little ones. 

Megan makes these beautiful Mommy and Me crown sets and sells them through her Etsy shop. She runs this gorgeous shop while being is a stay at home mom her beautiful little girl. Each and every product is handmade and carefully designed by her. 

Her Etsy shop doesn't only have mommy and me products, which are my absolute favorite but also has headwraps, hairbows and headbands for babies. She makes beauties, my friends. She makes stuff for adults, children and babies. She even takes custom orders, which I have heard are her absolute fave!

I love matching Olivia and I! Or at least coordinating, which is what we did for this mini photo session with Natalie. Styling these outfits to coordinate with these beautiful crowns Megan sent over was so much fun! These headbands are so delicate and did not bother my active toddler! (She normally rips headbands off when she notices they are on her head!!)

And to celebrate motherhood Megan is offering my readers 20% off of any purchase with the 
coupon code : WILLOWWAYBLOG !!  

How awesome is that?! So head on over there and grab up some mommy and me sets for you and your little sweetheart or for a last minute Mother's Day gift ;) Promise you won't regret it!! You can thank me later! Here is the link to her shop...click here

And if you are in the South Florida area you have got to check out Natalie's work! ;) This fabulous gal has passion and talent for what she does AND is such a sweetheart! 

Cheers to Mother's Day Week!!

Top 5 Favorite Baby Products

yayyy for me! I'm on a roll this week...this is my third post this week! This rarely and I mean RARELY happens!!

I would not say I am a baby expert by any means but having a second child who is already a year old...makes me think I've been in the baby world long enough and have tried enough baby products to be able to recommend my faves and have enough knowledge to do so! After two babies, I am sharing my top 5 essential baby products and why I think they are fabulous!

First of all, let me just say that I am not a fan of Babies R Us what so ever! I had my baby registry there with Gus and the babies r us brand products are very low quality and completely over priced! I have found so many baby products significantly cheaper at target, Walmart and even Amazon.com

The big things, yes, I think it is smart to go gender neutral, if you're planning to have more children down the road. Babies are expensive, they come with a lot of "stuff" so it's nice to be able to use some things again with the second child, if it comes out to be a different sex. The high chair, swing, bouncer, and Jumperoo are all things that babies use for just a few months and then you're done with them! Well, I take that back...the high chair you get a lot of use out of but it can still be gender neutral to get more bang for your buck!

1- Gender Neutral Crib-- We have the Fillmore Crib by Pottery Barn Kids. It's white, a classic style and if you just change the bedding it could work great for a boy or for a girl. A good crib, in my opinion is a good investment to make. We didn't make the investment when Gus was born and bought a Graco crib and by the time he was done using it...it was all banged up. not worth it. 

So when Olivia was born we figured we would just make the investment and purchase a quality product. I've loved it! Pottery Barn cribs are excellent quality and completely worth the investment!

2- Pottery Barn Kids bedding--PBK has the best bedding in the world!! The quality of materials they use are amazing. Gus only used PBK sheets when he was a baby and then when Olivia was born I bought the bedding set minus the sheets and found the cutest printed sheets at Target, so naturally I got them. After washing them a couple times they got too rough for her skin. I had to go out and get PBK sheets for her! I saw such a huge difference between PBK and target sheets! (Sorry Target! I love you for everything BUT baby sheets) 

Olivia has the Scalloped Pink Pique Bedding Set and Gus had a Nautical Set that they

don't make anymore. 

I know there's a lot of researchers and baby experts out there that say not to use bumpers. There's "breathable" mesh bumpers which I think aren't very cute. But I have never had a problem with the babies and crib bumpers! 

Gus transitioned from a bassinet to a crib at like a month and a half because he didn't fit in it anymore. And Gus was about 14 months when Olivia was born and had just started walking. I was absolutely terrified he would knock the bassinet over with the baby in it so Olivia never slept in a bassinet! When she came home from the hospital she went directly to her crib!

3-Britax B-Ready Stroller + Britax Chaperone Car Seat Travel System -- I love Britax! Honestly, when I was pregnant with Gus I didn't really do much research on Strollers and car seats but I knew that Britax was pretty up there safety wise. I really just got this system because my sister-in-law had the exact same one at the time and my in-laws wanted to get it for us as a gift!

 Later, I came to find out how important it is to have a good travel system and how convenient it is with a newborn! We would just open the stroller frame up and the car seat would just pop right in! When I got pregnant with Olivia, we bought the second seat adapter for Gus to be able to sit in the stroller as well. The best part is we can use it as a single stroller or a double stroller. 

It is a little larger than most strollers and takes up quite a bit of room in your trunk but it is quality. But for a double stroller it is acctually a pretty decent size! We have used it non-stop with two babies and it still works great!

This is another thing that would be better to get in a gender neutral color! Yes, the pink is super cute for a little girl but if you have a boy after that, you're kind of stuck with a pink stroller, unless of course you can buy a completely new system!

I think this is the product that has saved my life having two babies under 2!! 

4- Avent Bottles-- I have only used Avent bottles with my two and have LOVED them! I used the older model with Gus, that had the ring inside! Several times, I ran out of the house with just the bottles and not the rings and that was just disastrous--stories of a first time mom! I would always have to end up buying bottles wherever I was or replacement rings! Motherhood fail!! but other than that I loved them! 

When Olivia was born, they had already come out with the new model (Thank God--No more rings!!) and I loved it even more than the older model!

5- California Baby Sunscreen-- I will confess I just started using this on my little ones and I love it!! My children haven't gotten a sunburn, living in Miami! Olivia's skin is sooo fair and sensitive and this sunscreen didn't irritate her skin and she didn't get a sunburn! It is a little more expensive than regular sunscreen but it works miracles!It is mineral based and gentle on babies' sensitive skin! I definitely recommend it for beach trips! 

You can order it on their website or Target carries it in the store!

**Disclosure: This is completley my honest opinion on all of these products and I have not been compensated to write a review!

What are your favorite baby products?? 

{Mother's Day} Gift Guide

I hope you had a fabulous Easter Sunday with your loved ones!! We sure did! My husband had some cousins in town so Saturday we had a beach day! We had such a blast! It's so nice to have so much family with little ones around the same age!! Sunday we went to Easter mass and just stayed home....Ill have to post pictures later this week from our Easter weekend shenanigans!! 

Mother's Day is right around the corner and thought I would put together some gift ideas for your favorite mama's! These were some adorable things I have found while shopping around, without totally breaking the bank! 

1//2//3//4//5//


1- How fabulous are these sandals? They look like they're the perfect slip on jellies! They have them in nude and in black, if the mama you're shopping for isn't a huge fan of pink! I love them in all three colors but pink is my fave!

2- All I have to say is you can never go wrong with a little Chanel

3- These Kendra Scott earrings I am totally in love with! Nordstrom carries them in multiple colors!

4- I am loving these monogrammed mason jars by Crystal Faye for your mama's favorite smoothie or summer cocktail!

5- And lastly, these nude Kate Spade sandals I am completely in love with! Nude sandals are always perfect because the possibilities for outfit combinations are endless! And with a bow, of course! Anything is wayyy cuter with a bow!

xoxo
Elda

Five Fabulous One-Piece Swimsuits for the {Modern Mom}

As I had mentioned before, I am going through this phase trying to decide if I should wear a one-piece swimsuit this year. I am in search of a cute, fashionable suit to try that won't make me look like an old lady. After all I am 24 years old and don't want to look as if i'm 50. I just want something cute that I won't have to worry about something falling out while i'm playing and handling the little ones at the beach.

1//2//3//4//5

These were my favorite five suits that I came across. I love #1...I'm going through a black and white phase right now! #2 I had already talked about in a previous post. #3 I love the ruffles however, white with little ones is dangerous at the beach! #4 from Anthropologie is just so fun! It's a Nanette Lepore... Of course! I love the color but the style is still classic, which I love! 5 is a Sea Folly suit and like 4 a bit more pricey. I am obsessing over the floral print and love the style...so modern but I am not sure I could pull the shorts off!

I think I am still leaning towards number 2 from Asos. Because it's still fun!! (i love ruffles) and the color is perfect..it will cover any stains from food off of the little ones haha. When I am with them I always plan to get almost as dirty as they do. 

What are your thoughts on these suits?

{Book Review} : The Mother of all Meltdowns

Okay Mommies, we all have meltdowns, don't we? Feeling guilty of having them? I do. This book could not have come to me at a better time, as I am guilty of having them more frequently recently, due to the lovely terrible two's.  The Mother of all Meltdowns by Crystal Ponti is a hilarious book put together by mommy bloggers of stories of the finest and worst mommy moments ultimately ending in a "mommy meltdown" every single time. The best part is that all of these meltdown moments do not necessarily occur when these mothers' children are toddlers, half of them happen when they have grown kids!

“Are you getting sick? Where is the boy? How did you guys

get locked out?”

“WE did not get locked out. YOUR SON locked me out.”

-Jennifer Kehl

It was so nice to read something that was honest and REAL, for a change. These stories are real life stories from real moms, that actually happened. I loved that. It made me feel like I wasn't the only mom that totally lost it every once in awhile.

I was reading these stories, dying laughing and half the time I was telling myself, "yep that happened to me", or "me too, me too!!!". Sometimes, as a mother you simply just have to find the humor in the things that happen to you with your children. 

The book includes a bonus chapter, The Dirty Dozen: Coping with a mommy meltdown....Fabulous! You probably know all these tips on how to deal with these "episodes" yourself , but it's nice and comforting to hear them from a fellow mommy. One of the "Dirty Dozen"...

"Drink. Doesn’t have to be wine or liquor. In fact, it’s best to

avoid those before 10:00 a.m. A cool glass of water—splashed in

your face if you have to—can do the trick, or a quick taste of that

awesome homemade lemonade that you were saving for your

kids to use for their roadside stand might be enough to put you

back in balance."

-Melissa Swedowski

I, personally, pour myself a nice glass of Cabernet after I have had a mommy meltdown type of day. After I have put the kids to bed, of course. It tends to help me relax and solve all worries ;)

This is a must read for mommies!! It is available on Amazon.com for purchase!

Happy Monday Lovelies!