Farm Girl

Redeemed. Wife. Mom.

Archives for March 2014

March Beauty Favorites

I almost missed my March Beauty Favorites post today. I started this in January as a way to reveal and share beauty products that I am currently loving. 🙂
This month I am loving:
Urban Decay Naked Pallet 2: This is probably my favorite pallet in their eye shadow line. I am more of a neutral person when it comes to eye shadow and this provides with best of both worlds: neutrals and options for a smokey eye when I want to dress up my makeup.
Lately for my everyday look, I prime with MAC Paint Pot in Painterly and I use Booty Call for all over my lid. Then, I use Snakebite in the crease and line with Blackout.
Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick: I love the consistency of this lipstick. It almost has a buttery texture without being too creamy or greasy. It is very fun to wear and lasts a long time.
Maybelline Volum’Express The Rocket Mascara: I usually wear Clinique mascara but ran out the other day and was in need of something quick. I picked up a tube of this and have been in love! It really brings volume to my lashes.
eos Lip Balm: I picked up my first pod of eos last year in Target and I love it. It brings moisture without being so medicated on my lips. My favorite is the mint.
Hair Ties: These are my new favorite things to pull my hair up with. They don’t leave a crease and do not pull my hair.
I hope you enjoyed this post and found some new products to try! Would you like to link up next month with your favorites? If so, leave a comment on this post and your email. 🙂
Can’t wait to hear back from you! Have a great night!
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Zoo Trip

Last Wednesday while I was on Spring Break, Me, Zack, and My Mom took Paisley to the OKC Zoo. I was so excited to take her because she is IN LOVE with animals. I haven’t been to the zoo {with the exception of our Honeymoon/Fiesta Bowl trip to Glendale in 2011} since I was in kindergarten so it was fun to relive that experience with Paisley for her first time. We went on the perfect spring day.
The Oklahoma City Zoo recently opened up a new elephant exhibit and a lot of new things are coming to the Zoo so that was really neat to see. One of the elephants there was my mother’s age {I won’t tell mom :)} which was awesome!
This is part of the new elephant area. Behind all of it are the elephants, barns, etc.
I loved these posters. They made me think of Water for Elephants. 🙂
Always on Daddy’s shoulders. 🙂
The giraffes were gorgeous!
We had two more people in front of us when Mr. Giraffe decided he wasn’t hungry anymore. Talk about a bummer after you wait in line to feed them. I am not sure if Miss P would have like him anyway. She wasn’t too sure about them up close. 🙂
They were in the same pasture as the zebras which were Paisley’s favorites. We let her pick out an animal in the gift shop before we left for being so good and of course, it was a “zeeba.” 🙂
Zack and I had to get in a picture. 🙂

Our favorite part of the whole trip were the gorillas. They put on quite a show!

It’s amazing how smart they are!

And that moment happened when my child will probably fear gorillas for years. She was waving at them in the window so mama gorilla came to show love and Paisley flipped. She screamed and then chewed it out saying “no no no!” Hilarious yet traumatizing. We moved on to the otters after that.

My Mom and Paisley

I really wanted to go in and hug these teddy bears. I’m sure they would eat me in one bite.

Most of the animals were either sleeping or hiding which I don’t blame them-perfect day to sun bathe but I wanted a little more action. Lazy things.

By the end of the day, I was feeling like that rhino.

I am so glad Paisley enjoyed it, despite the gorilla episode. It was a much needed family date and I can’t wait to go back. 🙂

What were your Spring Break plans?

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Potty Chair Tales

When Paisley first entered toddlerhood, potty training was one of the things I really looked forward to in regards to “milestones.” After buying diapers for so long, it’s natural to want that little bit of money back in your wallet as well as helping them to become more independent. However, I always had a timeline in my head of when she should be doing things. At 12 months she should be walking, at 18 months potty train, at two, be done with pacifiers. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I think as mothers, especially first timers, we hear stories, read books {blogs} and come up with this master plan of how advanced our kids should be. We expect them to complete these milestones at certain times when more than likely, they just aren’t ready.
Paisley was an early talker, but a late walker at 15 months. She didn’t get her first tooth until 13 months. We started potty training at 23 months and she is still attached to a pacifier at 2 years old. And? That’s ok! Some kids just aren’t ready. I really believe that they have to be interested in potty training or it just will not happen. It was easy for me to become discouraged when friend’s kids would complete exciting milestones before mine but I had to keep reminding myself to stop comparing. That is the worst thing you can do.
Thankfully, Paisley isn’t one to “like” wearing dirty diapers. She will immediately tell us when she is dirty and asked to be changed. When she first started coming to us saying “shooo weeee- CHANGE” and pointing at her bottom I knew we were ready to introduce the potty chair.
I am a first time mom but I have heard that boys and girls potty train very differently. I wanted to use some basic tips that relate to both genders and have helped us along our journey:

1. Interest them: If you are a mom, then going to the restroom alone is a pastime. There is no such thing as privacy anymore. So, while they are in the bathroom, talk with them. Tell them what you are doing. Show them that you wear “big girl panties” and you go to the potty and not in a diaper. Set them on the toilet and show them that is where you go to the potty. The more you interest and educated your toddler, the easier it will be to potty train. Paisley also has a potty chair book that has the flushing noise with it. She seems to enjoy reading it and relates it with going to potty which is the main goal. I keep it in her little shelf on the side of her potty chair.
2. Buy a potty chair: Some friends of ours had Paisley’s made and gave it to her as a gift but there are cute potty chairs everywhere. I think it is so much easier if they have one “especially smaller” that they can sit on. This is one of the best investments you will ever buy. Take them to the store to help pick one out or choose the color. If they feel like they have a say in the process, the more excited they will be.3. Establish a rewards system: We decided to go with the Potty Pops method. Every time Paisley uses the potty she is rewarded with a potty pop-“Popsicle.” A lot of parents reward with toys but that can get extremely expensive. We bought a $3.00 box of popsicles at the grocery store and it is a fun {and cheaper} incentive for her. I have also heard of suckers as potty pops.

4. Praise: When she goes, especially without being reminded or with bribery, we praise praise praise. I believe there isn’t anything much more powerful in parenting than encouragement. Children, whether they show it or not, want to follow the rules and have some sort of routine. They love knowing when they do something good and are being recognized and supported for it. Don’t we all? With progress, praise should follow.

Moms, remember that his doesn’t happen overnight. It may not happen within 6 months but keep trying and continue to encourage. Be patient with them, this is a learning experience for the whole family and a big transition of becoming more independent for your toddler. I don’t think there is any perfect or specific way to potty train. Kids learn differently than others and its more about finding balance in a potty routine and what works to interest them and keep them interested.
We are still working on it and will be for awhile but the important thing is that she is willing to learn. I hope this post helps and provides useful advice. You can also find me at Wifessionals today in the “From Baby to Big Kid” series!
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