Tuesday In Review: HANA Titanium Flat Iron 1.5″

This is me using the HANA to curl my hair.

I was recently contacted by Misikko to review one of their products – the HANA Titanium 1.5″ Flat Iron.  *Misikko also offers CHI Flat Irons as well, since I know that a lot of people are brand loyalists* I was nervous as I always am because I do offer honest opinions regardless of what the company may want. But Misikko wanted just that – and honest opinion.  And so I went for it!  I’m no beauty professional, but I do use a flat iron on a regular basis and therefore can tell you what a normal woman who needs a good product thinks.

First off, the delivery and packaging is beautiful which is nice.  I like it when companies go the extra effort of making their products attractive to open.  The package came with a pad that you unroll and place on the counter.  It allows for the flat iron to not slip off the counter and for the counter to be protected from any heat.  I had honestly never thought about it, and so I was pleasantly surprised to see how effective this was and how I didn’t have to be as careful when placing the flat iron down.  But honestly, I used this little pad for the first few days only.  As a busy Mama, I just don’t even have the time or energy to do that little extra step.  So I went back to using just the iron on my counter.

The nice thing is that I really don’t think it’s a problem.  You see, when I first turned it on and it heated up I was skeptical because it just didn’t feel as hot as my other one on the same setting.  There wasn’t the same amount of heat emanating from it – at least that’s what it felt like.  But once I started running it through my hair that didn’t matter.  It did a great job of straightening my hair despite what I thought wasn’t the same amount of heat.  In the end, I think that’s better because if it’s doing just as good a job with less heat *if that really is the case that there’s less heat* then it’s less damaging to my hair.  So, bonus!

I think it’s great for straightening.  The fact that it’s a bit wider seemed to also do a better job at straightening things out.  The curls it made *now granted, I’m not very good at this part* were softer than my narrower one, but I kind of liked that soft gentle wave look.

Overall, this is a busy mama’s product. It heats up really fast *really fast*, it does a great job just once through without you having to pull it through the hair multiple times, it doesn’t pull hair *yes, I’ve had that problem with my other ones*,  and it’s durable *I have dropped it on several occasions already when I’m rushing or looking after my Baby at the same time*. 

Mamahood Exposed: It’s a Marathon Not A Sprint

Sometimes we forget that Mamahood is for the long haul and that in order to finish at the end we have to figure out ways to take breaks.  Here’s Esther’s story. 

Hi there! I am Esther from Lovingly Thrown Together where I blog about my life with two incredibly handsome dudes, recipes, crafts, and some real-life mama stuff. 

I am so happy to be here for this Motherhood Exposed series.

Photobucket

When Joanna first asked me to contribute to the series, 
I wrote this feel-good post about how angelic my son looks 
when I hold him in the middle of the night if he wakes up scared or sick.  
But in proofreading that post I realized that I was painting a picture that truly did not fit my reality. 
So I highlighted the entire thing and quickly hit delete before I could reconsider.

Photobucket

My journey as a mom started on September 21, 2010. 
My son Jacob was born at 11:04am and turned my world upside down (in a good way).
I have since been a stay-at-home mom and work from home part-time as a freelance writer. 
Jacob is a great kid. He’s slept well since the beginning and has always been good with transitions. He plays well and eats well.
But the truth is sometimes how good he is doesn’t really matter 
and I need alone time. Sometimes I need an afternoon of coffee, computer, tv, and a book.
The problem is that when I signed up to be a mom I had to agree to die to myself in every single way. I read once that being a mom is realizing that you don’t matter anymore. 
Your child’s needs come first… all the time.
Let me tell you, 
that becomes exhausting pretty fast.
Sometimes my son is walking around with freshly washed hair, an impeccable pair of pants, 
and a spankin’ new t-shirt. Me? My uniform includes uggs, jeans, and a forgiving long-sleeve tshirt… when I am lucky enough to have gotten out of my pajamas. 
Most days he eats breakfast, snack, and lunch before I even get a sip of my coffee. 
True story.

Photobucket

His needs are at times overwhelming but they need tending to. Yes I scream sometimes 

(and no joke I apologize to him every single time) 
and I cry a lot 
(I don’t apologize for that because usually I feel so much better after a good sob sesh).
When I need breaks, which is pretty often, I have to remind myself to take them. 
I have another cup of coffee, I sit to watch a show, I get a babysitter so my husband 
and I can go out for date night, or we drop him off at his grandparents.

You see, my son is going to be my son forever and ever. I think I better take some breaks now 
so I can finish the race with my sanity (somewhat) intact.



Are you a Mama with a story to tell? 
Email your submission to joanna.haughton@hotmail.com

Random Sundays: Quinoa Salad

I love a simple healthy delicious meal and that’s why I like this quinoa salad.  You just make a whole bunch and keep it in the fridge for when you’re feeling peckish.  And it’s so simple!

Cook quinoa: 2 parts water for every 1 part quinoa – bring to boil and simmer covered until water is gone.
 Let cool.
Then chop up a whole bunch of fresh parsley *I like to grab a huge couple of fistuls* , lots of cucumber *about half- 3/4 of a large one*, one tomatoe and one red pepper.  Mix it all in with the quinoa.  Then I pour in a crap load of good quality olive oil *tons and tons until it’s well saturated but not soupy* and the juice of a lemon *or two depending on how tangy you like it*.  Yum!

I don’t follow a recipe so much as put in as much as I want of each
thing depending on what I want that day – more cucumber, more red
pepper, etc, etc.

Saturday Smiles: Baby’s New Shoes

There’s a few things that made my week this week:

1. The new tablet I got – such a wonderful gift from my husband.
2.  The 10 year old port my friends got me as a belated birthday present – so yummy!
3.  The project I’m away doing, and they put me up in a fabulous hotel for it!
4. Getting to work with Monica on another Nadia Burkoff episode:

True Story:
Do you like Baby’s new shoes? *the one she’s wearing on her left foot above*
She certainly does.

Mamahood Exposed: Time Off

We can do it all right? We’re selfless, self-sacrificing saints who are always there and never need a break, right?  
*crickets*  
Am I right? 
*crickets*

There’s a certain piece of advice for mothers that I’ve always had a very hard time following. It’s crucial to a properly functioning household and without it, all will go berserk.

As mothers we must take time for ourselves.
Plain & simple, right?

For me, not so much. As of late I’ve been in this funk. Just going through the motions and doing my best to maintain my patience with a toddler who insists more and more on asserting her independence and doing things her way. (Hmmm… I wonder where she gets that stubbornness from?) I became increasingly more and more stressed until I just broke down.

 

I was picking up toys after I tried (and failed miserably for the 4th day in a row) to put Alea down for her nap and Cory got her down in ten minutes, maybe less. I just started crying and poured my heart out and let all my frustrations out while Cory listened on with wide eyes.

He replied with: “Maybe you should take next weekend off.”

And this is just proof how bad I needed it. I thought twice. I hesitated. It took just a little more convincing, but I agreed.

Even just having some mommy-time-off to look forward to can put a little more pep in your step. I’ve been doing a lot better this week just knowing that some me-time is on the horizon. I just have to make it through a couple more days and I can take a deep breath and regroup.

What will I be doing with this time off you ask? Staying at my mom’s. Sleeping in. Uninterrupted homework and blogging time. Reading. Meeting a friend for coffee and most importantly, enjoying the peace and quiet.

 
The moral of this (somewhat pathetic) tale is that as mama’s, we need to remember that in order to be there for our families, we need to be there for ourselves as well.

So, take some time away. Get your hair done, wander aimlessly around Target or take yourself out for a cup of coffee.

Take time to reflect on the wonderful mother you are and how much more you can be there for your family by giving yourself time to reboot. You won’t regret it!

Are you a Mama with a story to tell?
Email your submission to joanna.haughton@hotmail.com.

This Reverie

Sweater – Gap
Dress – Ruche
Tights – Hue
Boots – Locale

Ever find that some winter days just feel so quiet?  It’s not necessarily a tangible thing, more like a feeling hanging in the air, but it feels like the world hushes itself a touch, and a stillness abounds.  Some days I look outside my window and feel this global pause…until my baby girl’s excited babbles interrupt my reverie and bring a smile to my face.

Oh, and don’t forget to check out two spots from BevMo here, that I shot a while back. 

True Story:
Baby made her first sandwich.
Applesauce spread on a piece of toasted and buttered bread. 
By her proud reaction, I’m guessing it’s yummy. 

What Now?

Necklace – c/o Scarlet Samples
Sweater – Esprit
Top – Costa Blanca
Dress – Ruche
Socks & Tights – F21
Boots – Locale
I love that I got to spend the whole day with Andrew for Valentine’s Day – thanks to some very obliging Gandparents of course!  We had a great time going out to lunch, dessert, playing board games, doing some shopping, etc, etc.  It was also nice to get a whole day out without a little baby with us, but at one point we just sat down in the middle of mall not knowing what to do with ourselves.  We have not had free time for so long that once we had it we had no idea how to fill it.  It was quite funny, we just looked at each other wondering, “What now?”  
On another note, this dress is far too loose on me to know what to do with, so I’m tackling the challenge of turning it into a proper fitting skirt. Oh boy!  I’m nervous, but hey I’ve gotta try right?
True Story:
After bath time, my little babe decides to climb onto her toilet seat…naked.  
Sit there for fifteen minutes…naked. 
Grunt a little and talk a lot….naked. 
Eventually I took her off, but she wanted to stay….naked.

That’s Love

Hair bow – Etsy
Necklace & Earrings – F21
Ring – Lulus
Top – Ruche
Corduroys – Le Chateau
Boots – Feet First
I wish I had something profound to say to you on this Valentine’s Day.  Something about the power and magic of love, but I don’t.  Love is not that which we find in romantic comedies.  It doesn’t end when the two people get together, it starts.  What the movies don’t show you is the hard work that goes into sustaining a relationship for the long term.  They don’t show the loyalty and faith that couples have in one another when they stay with each other through trying and difficult times.  That’s love.  
That, and a man who cooks for you, of course.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
True Story:
Baby looks at me, shakes her head, wags her finger and says, “No.”  
I wonder where she learned that from?
Don’t answer that.

Mamahood Exposed: To Laugh

Sometimes we take our role as Mamas very seriously, and sometimes you just gotta throw your hands in the air and say, “To heck with it!”

Hey there, I’m Beth and I blog at Through the Eyes of the Mrs.  I’m a mother to three ages five, three and two.  You could say I’m a pretty busy person. I try to do it all and usually have a breakdown once a month. You know how it is? We are expected to be super hero’s.  It’s tough to meet every one’s expectations.
So today instead of telling you how I do it all.  I’m going to let you see how imperfect I am and let you know it’s okay.  We are our biggest critics and sometimes we need to give ourselves a break.We can’t always do it all and it’s okay to laugh at ourselves.
 Did someone say Cheerios? Whoops I think she got carried away.  All the while I’m desperately trying to finish the dishes.  What are you going to do?  
Call the dog and grab the vacuum.

Yes he wore two different colored flip flops.  Even though I say I have eyes everywhere we both know that isn’t true.  Let me tell you about another shoe story in the summer.  We had a busy day and last minute decided to go and grab dinner.  We arrived at the restaurant and realized our oldest wasn’t wearing shoes.  
Yes, these are the things that happen to me.

 Brianna with her worm friend.  She held onto him while spending an afternoon outside.  Sadly this is the only picture we have of her with her wormy.  Right after I took this she decided to eat him.  Now what kind of mother allows her daughter to eat a worm?  I will tell you… A speechless one!
Who dressed this poor boy for preschool?  Well his entire class realized he was a size 5/6.
I felt terrible but at least he was wearing underwear.  
Of course he didn’t care, not one bit.  Harmless mistakes happen. 

I’ve decided I should never walk out of a room.  The kids covered our golden in their macaroni and cheese.  The sad part was she was trying desperately to have a bite.  
Needless to say she needed a bath.

I guess I shouldn’t have left the butter on the counter after breakfast. Note to self, a two year old will wash their hair with butter.  It is the worst to try to get out of their hair.  Especially if it hadn’t been brushed yet.  
Guard your butter!
If you spend a lot of time on a cake just spare yourself the trouble.  Give them a piece!
Never say “don’t touch the cake it’s for after dinner.”
Do yourselves a favor and listen to this important message.
Just buy stock in Kleenex already.
I’m sure this is a regular occurrence in every house with toddlers.
Now most of these are cell phone pictures but you get the idea.
We have to laugh and quit being so tough on ourselves.  No one is perfect and mothers have a tough job.  Face it we are all pretty amazing!

Are you a Mama with a story to tell? 
Send in your submission to joanna.haughton@hotmail.com.

Saturday Smiles: Yogurt Face

It’s been one hard week.  I’ve been sick as a dog.  I actually had to miss an event I’ve been really looking forward to because of it.  Poo!  Anyway, it hasn’t been all bad.  Here’s what’s brought a smile to my face this week:

1. Mint tea to soothe the savage throat.
2. Husband giving much needed comfort when you’re sick.
3. My little purple yogurt face!
4. All the amazing people who’ve voted for me on Circle of Moms!  Keep it up, once a day please.  Just click on the icon and find ModaMama then vote!  It’s that easy. 
Your support means so much to me!

Follow on Instagram