Cherry Blossom by Sinful Colors Professionals

Today I bring to you "Cherry Blossom" by Sinful Colors Professional. 

Now, if you follow us on Facebook then you've watched our "weekly nail polish update"  video and you've seen the new additions to my "Sinful Color" Nail Polish Collection!

This nail polish looks as delicate as the name and is full pink shimmer! (this reminds me of Ms Bree's new favorite show Shimmer and Shine)

Don't forget to apply a base coat before applying the color.  There are a couple of reasons why I always recommend base coat before applying any polish but especially a dark color polish: 

a.  It helps the nail from staining when using dark colors. Here is an extra tip, use a "nail hardener" to keep nails healthy and strong, then apply the base coat, and

b. The nail polish tends to last longer when you use a base coat.

As you can see on the picture above, the color is very light after just one coat but you can still appreciate the amount of shimmer.  It will be perfect for any little girl!  

One coat didn't do it for me therefore I applied a two more coats. I really wanted to capture the color of "real cherry blossoms".

This nail polish doesn't require a top coat as it contains a lot of shimmer but I highly recommend it, especially if you want to give your nail and extra glossy look.

*Sigh* the final product!! Isn't it lovely??  I added something new this time, a little applique!

What do you think?  

Remember, you can grab this nail color or any Sinful Color Professional nail polishes at your local store from $1.99- $2.99!

Life After Tonsillectomy- A Month After Her Surgery

Hello Everyone!! 

Ms. Bree's Tonsillectomy surgery was performed thirty four (34) days ago today.  Can you believe it?  It has been a rough thirteen months for us but I think I am finally seeing the light at the end of tunnel.  

In my post "Her Journey To Surgery: Tonsillectomy", I explained how long her journey had been and how helpless we felt during her monthly fevers before her surgery was finally scheduled.  

A lot of our fans have asked why did it take so long for surgery to be scheduled. I agree that nine months of reoccurring fevers are a bit too much for a child's little body to endure.  

As a rule, pediatricians can only advise this type of surgery after making sure the tonsils are causing a chronic problem.  Unfortunately, during the beginning months, Ms. Bree had no signs of red or pink throat, she had a good cell count, no throat ache, no ear ache nor congestion.  However, she would occasionally complain of a tummy ache.  It was not until January 7th, 2016 that she was officially diagnosed with Tonsillitis and her second diagnosis was in February 8th, 2016.    

When the doctor tells you "children recover faster than adults" believe them!  Usually, tonsillectomy is done as an outpatient procedure, which means that the child will be able to go home the same day.  

Day 2 Post Surgery: 

The diet suggestion throughout the first few days included the following: 

Drinks: water, tea, apple juice, gatorade, milk, milkshakes, popsicles, jell-o (drinks that contained high levels of acidic were not allowed)  While she was allowed to have soda, it was not preferred. 

Thankfully she understood that she couldn't have anything "red" and soda, therefore she opted to stick with Frappucinos and Milkshakes. 

Food: Bland foods that are easy to swallow like ice cream, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, applesauce, grits, noodles, pasta, macaroni and cheese, dumpling, soft chicken (bake or boiled, not fried) and meatloaf.  

Food was one of the most difficult parts for her.  Ms. Bree is a big eater and by Day 2, she wanted to eat everything that she was not allowed to eat.  She had a lot of mac and cheese, plain noodles with grated parmesan cheese.  She also ate a lot of ice cream sandwiches, popsicles and chicken breast (rotisserie style). 

Our instructions were to concentrate on hydration rather than nutrition and that's exactly what we did.  We took cues from her and we watched her behavior closely for any indication that she was in a lot of pain.

The anticipated recovery time was two weeks and the only activities allowed were lot of "bed rest" and "quiet activities".  No running, lifting, yelling, swimming are allowed.  

Day 3 Post Surgery:

By  Day 3 she was so bored, tired of taking naps and coloring quietly in the company of Grandmother.   She followed instructions wonderfully by not yelling and running around the house. 

We were also advised that while you are able to controlled the pain throat with medication, the pain becomes more severe during the 3rd and 4th day and usually peaks during the 7th-10th day.  

She was so blessed, the severe pain we were told to expect, never came! While she continued to take the antibiotics like a champion, she really didn't require a lot of pain medication and I'm so thankful for that. As parents, we hate to see our children in pain and no power to take it away. 

We were expecting some nasal speech or nasal regurgitation as we were told that both can sometimes occur, but Ms Bree didn't experience either of those things. 

However, her breath was out of this world!   We didn't make it a big deal, in fact, we explained to our son why Ms. Bree had a foul odor coming from her mouth, and why he shouldn't say anything to her.  After all, we really couldn't do anything about it, the foul odor is often present during the healing process.  We were told that swelling of the tongue, uvula and throat are common and it usually goes away within seven days.  During the first two days, Ms. Bree had a hard time opening her mouth in order to brush her teeth, so we did our best to keep her teeth cleaned.

Ms. Bree's follow up with Dr. Oliver was on March 24th, 2016 at which time she was given the "green light" to return to school and was told she could slowly return to her regular activities. (except the trampoline)

Day 16 Post Surgery:

Ms. Bree was so excited that she had been given the "ok" to attend her best friend's birthday party! 

While I anticipated for her to be a little bit more tired than usual after the party, she was not.  She didn't require a nap after the party at all.

Day 17 Post Surgery:

Her first day back at Church was so amazing.  The kids were also looking forward to the "Egg Hunt".  Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and the Egg Hunt didn't take place.  However, their Pastor and staff did a great job making sure the kids had fun and they each received a bag full of goodies. 

Day 31 Post Surgery:

April 9th, 2016 

April 9th was a very important date for her and for me as well.  We celebrated little man's "special friend's" birthday, the celebration took place at the "Get Air" and what kid doesn't like a "jumping place"?

It was important to me because as I mentioned before, her fevers were a monthly occurrence and she would have them anywhere between the 5th -8th of the month.    Well, the fevers never came!! 

I can see the change in her.  She no longer snores and she has not complained of any tummy aches.  Like every child, she will get sick, she will experience the occasional cold or sore throat.  We deeply believe the surgery worked and her quality of life has improved.  While I know it has only been 34 days since her surgery, the fevers didn't strike this month and her daily activities were not affected at all.   

Ms. Bree has been able to enjoy birthday parties, play dates, church and the good old Strawberry Festival!  She is back to her old happy self, enjoying everything in life and everything in the refrigerator!!  And that ladies and gentlemen, makes us very happy and very broke but we gladly accept being broke if it means having our children happy and healthy!  LOL  

Twister by Cutex- Spa Formula

Welcome back my beauties!! 

A few days ago I posted a review on this beautiful "teal-blueish" nail polish, "Savage" by Sinful Color Professionals. 

A couple of days after I shared my review with all of you, I heard "rumors" about how "difficult" it was to remove the nail polish and how it can "stain" your nails and your skin.

The news bothered me so much I began to plan how I was going to tackle what promised to be a "real big mess".  I could picture the skin around my nails and under my nails full of faded blue.... My imagination was running wild there for a moment ha!

Let me introduce you to this little jar that shut all those rumors down! 

Twister by Cutex

Their claim: 

This 2-in-1 instant remover jar is filled with patented Cutex® SPA Formula, which is designed to clear hard-to-remove polish quickly and effectively. The one-of-a-kind duo action design includes a specially engineered sponge that eliminates the need for cotton balls and a handy bristle brush for extra stubborn polish. This design is the first of its kind for instant removers. Simply dip, twist and enjoy clean nails.

I purchased this miracle jar at my local pharmacy for the price of $3.99!! 

This nail polish remover works really good. It does exactly what it says and who doesn't love a product that does exactly what they claim they can do.  I just love the convenience of this jar and it's so easy to use.   Insert your finger, move it a bit and it's done!

I've tried other brands and they have not worked at all plus they make my nails feel dry and damaged. 

This product conditions my nails while saving me the mess of using a lot of cotton balls!! 

Watch the video in order to see it in action!

Do you have a favorite product to remove those stubborn nail polishes??  Share your thoughts with us!! 

Down & Out by Blended Beauty

Hello my curly peeps!! 

This is a review that is so over due, so let's correct that, shall we.  If you follow our Facebook Fan Page: CaramelCurlzNSwirls, then you've heard of me using this product on more than one occasion and how much I love them.

While I have a few favorite products that seemed to work perfectly on my daughter's hair, Down & Out is one of the best products and the results have never disappointed me.   When I say "it is one of the best", it's because Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer is on the top of the list.

Down and Out Styles is a Leave-In Conditioner Butter, that helps with moisturizing, conditioning and with the definition of my daughter's hair.  I love to use this butter when I style her hair in twists.  

In combination with Curly Cake Shake, our oil mix and gel always gives me the most beautiful results, as well as a lasting hold.

  

Because Down & Out is enriched with ingredients like Shea Butter, Aloe, and Chamomile, her hair is always soft and free of frizz.   Even during our trip to the beach, her hair remained soft and beautiful.  

Down & Out Styles Ingredients: 

Aqua, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetyl Alcohol (and) Butylene Glycol, Vegetable Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Methylheptyl Isostearate, Soy Lecithin, Cetyl Esters, Parfum, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Preservative (Phenoxyethanol and Caprylyl Glycol and Sorbic Acid), Rosmarinus Officinalis, Aloe Barbadensis, Chamomilla Recutita.

How I apply Down & Out:

Working in small section is the key.  

1. Apply Curly Cake Shake to the section you are working and detangle the section using your fingers; 
2. Apply your favorite oil mix;
3. Apply Down & Out.

At this point you can start styling your little one's hair however you desire.  You can let it all "down and out" or you can style it in a protective style like I do.

Styling her hair in twists allows me to get more out of a hair style.  When styling her hair in twists, she is able to wear that protective style for a week or two, before I let it all down so that she can wear her hair in a fluffy and soft "Twist Out" for another week.  

In reality, from twists to a twist out style can approximately last a month, as long as we take our time to properly care for her ends and scalp, of course. 

The Curly Cake Shake can be used to maintain the hair as well.  This product will hydrate your thirsty curls while giving them the shine they need.

Have you tried these products before?? Share your thoughts!!   

Easy & Delicious Spring Recipes

It's Friday and I hope that everyone had a very productive week! If not, don't worry, we will start nice and fresh on Monday!! 

The family and I will be attending our local Strawberry Festival this weekend and I cannot wait to see our children enjoy the festival's activities and pick some nice and sweet strawberries straight from the field.  It will be a perfect family outing.  I anticipate last of strawberries and fresh spring vegetables, like asparagus, peas, beets, cabbage, radishes and turnips that I can try new recipes or cook one of our family recipes. 

In the meantime let's get ready to welcome the weekend with some nice, delicious and easy spring recipes!  

Let's begin with a refreshing salad that never fail to please a hungry crowd:

Easy & Delicious Pasta Salad  

This is a very easy and affordable salad to make.   A combination of cooked pasta with fresh tomatoes plus the crunchiness of the bell pepper and broccoli topped with a robust vinaigrette. 

See full recipe here: Easy & Delicious Pasta Salad. 

Laci Jameson Carlson, creator and owner of Sequins in the South has some refreshing and flavorful recipes

Strawberry & Champagne Popsicles

For this refreshing and crisp recipe click here:  Strawberry Champagne Popsicles.

Stuffed Zuchini Paired with 

Roasted Cauliflower

For these two delicious recipes click here: Stuffed Zuchini Paired with Roasted Cauliflower.

Kim Mais, creator and owner of Three Olive Branch has a sensational recipe that includes "bruschetta"!

Bruschetta with Garlic Costrini

What I love about this recipe is that it is so light and it requires very little ingredients but the result will leave you wanting more!! 

For full recipe click here: Bruschetta with Garlic Costrini

C E Lim creator and owner of Gastronomic (Mis)Adventures has created a fabulous and simple recipe that only requires 5 or less ingredient.  This is a recipe that can be prepared and served within 30 minutes!  

Baked Stuffed Fig Recipe

For the full recipe click here: Baked Stuff Fig Recipe

If you like to try any of these recipes, please make sure you pin the image, save and or share!!  To view more of their amazing creations, just visit their pages and follow!!

Go ahead, try them... you won't be disappointed and please, let us know your thoughts!!