tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20681107794399959082024-03-05T23:06:04.376-08:00My Family FelizBridget Castanedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14570535014579167744noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2068110779439995908.post-63589465882818561682020-05-01T13:44:00.004-07:002020-05-01T13:44:40.549-07:00Elena's Birth Story<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally getting around to writing this... can't believe I can still remember so much of this day. It feels like an eternity ago that we were a family of 3. I'm sure there was a lot I've already forgotten and there were definitely parts that I wish I could forget.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Elena's birth story starts with my water breaking, just like Isabel's birth story. Isn't that funny - supposedly only 15% of labors start with your water breaking before contractions, but both of my labors did.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My water broke at 3 in the morning, so I called into my midwife clinic and spoke to the midwife on call. She said try to get some sleep and call back in the morning and we could make a plan. I, of course, was so excited, I probably only slept another 15 minutes before we all got up for the day. It was a Monday morning so I told Javi to work from home so that he would be nearby if I needed him. I decided not to send Isabel to daycare because I thought I would be bored by myself and I also didn't want to miss out on our last few hours together before she was no longer the baby. Unfortunately, because I kept Isabel home, I don't think my body felt safe to let my labor progress so nothing else happened all day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My midwife set up an appointment to be seen around 3pm so my dad came to pick up Isabel and Javi and I headed to the clinic. While I was there, I started having some mild contractions. Finally, I wasn't in charge of Isabel and I felt safe with Javi by my side. It was exciting to have something finally happening. They had me hooked up to the monitors for maybe 30 minutes. They gave us a few options and we decided to set up an induction for later that evening. We headed home to grab our bags and stopped to get dinner at Burger Jones. As we were eating dinner my contractions started getting stronger and closer together but they were still fairly far apart.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We checked into the hospital around 7pm and our doulas were on their way as well (we didn't pay for 2 doulas, they just both wanted to come). After about an hour, I was all checked in and had my team there of Javi, my nurse, my midwife, and my doula. Per hospital policy, I needed to talk to the Obgyn on staff and hear the risks associated with attempting a VBAC (vaginally birth after c-section). She was very nice but I was a little annoyed that she told me my odds of having a successful VBAC were around 55%. It didn't matter what the numbers were, I was determined to try anyways. Isabel's birth was a little traumatic for me and I wanted to be in charge this time and I knew I could do it. She said the odds were based on a million different factors like height, ethnicity, previous births, previous babies birth weights etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After that, we hung out in the room for an hour, stretching and moving around, trying to progress things. Around 9 o'clock they gave me the option to continue laboring on my own or be induced. I was nervous about being induced as they told me some people really take to pitocin quickly and it could really push things along very fast. But the midwife told me "you will eventually get there, but this would just be making it faster." I was nervous that I would be in a lot of pain but I decided to get induced.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The most memorable part of Elena's birth was 15 minutes after the gave me the pitocin. I was in so much pain; it was absolute hell. I've never been in so much pain, nor would I wish that pain onto anyone. I could't think straight and was panicked. I asked my doulas to remind me why I didn't want an epidural. She went over the reasons I had told her but they didn't make any sense to me anymore. I had already "intervened" by choosing the induction so why did it matter now. They said they would check me first to see how far along I was. Well I had gone from 5cm - 9cm in 15 minutes flat - hence the unbearable pain. I told them to turn off the pitocin. Less than 10 minutes and I was fully dilated and ready to start pushing. I remembered from Isabel's birth, that once you start pushing, the contractions don't hurt anymore so I decided to stick to my plan of no epidural.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was so nice to have a team of 5 people helping me along while I pushed, but after an hour, I didn't feel like I was making any progress. When I brought up that there hadn't been any progress and that I now wanted an epidural because I was too tired, no one told me "you're almost there" so I knew I had made the right choice for me. Had they told me I was close, I may have changed my mind, but you could see in their faces, we weren't getting anywhere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was in so much pain while I waited for the epidural. I don't know why I didn't just keep pushing while I was waiting, but I was done. The epidural only ended up working on half my body for awhile but later it worked better. My contractions started spreading further apart (a problem I also had with Isabel and a problem with epidurals sometimes). Javi started to worry that history would repeat it self. I think the epidural actually helped me relax a bit and we were making progress but now the problem was just that the contractions were too far apart to make much progress quickly. Elena was very close to making it out for such a long time but it seems like that last little bit took forever. (It was probably only another hour but maybe more)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Elena was born at 3 am. Once Elena came out, I got to hold her immediately and it was the best thing ever. I just held her and she nursed for such a long time (she barely ate the next 24 hours so good thing she nursed so much right away). They let me hold her for 2 hours, before they even thought about taking her away to weigh her. When they took her to weigh her, she did have the shakes so they were a little worried about her. We actually stayed an extra day in the hospital due to that but they went away and now she is our perfectly healthy little babe.</span><br />
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<br />Bridget Castanedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14570535014579167744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2068110779439995908.post-57604272039476154032019-09-20T09:31:00.000-07:002019-09-20T09:37:21.952-07:005 Skincare Items You Need to Replace Today<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Everyone's safer skin care journey is different but </i></span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">here are my</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>1. HAND SOAP</b> - I wash my hands 1,000,0001 times a day so the first thing I looked to replacing was our hand soap. Soaps often have synthetic fragrances in them and overly drying and irritating surfactants. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Replace with</b> - I love <b>Dr. Bronner's Castille Soap </b>($16). One bottle lasts us over 2 months and we wash our hands a lot! Make sure to dilute with water, to your liking.You can now find this at Target! And BONUS - I use this as body wash too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>2. BODY LOTION </b>- body lotion sits on your skin for a LONG period of time and covers a lot of your body. If you are using a body lotion with synthetic fragrance ingredients, you may be putting yourself at risk for health issues like allergies, asthma, and hormone disruption. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Replace with</b> - <b>Beautycounter Melting Body Balm</b> ($42) was a winner of this year's Allure's Best of Beauty Awards. I'm not surprised as it seriously smells like a vacation - yummmmmy! It's the best thing out there for super dry patches of skin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>OR Beautycounter Countermatch Adaptive Body Moisturizer </b>($39) was also a winner of this year's Allure's Best of Beauty Awards. Made from plum oil and shea butter, it rubs in easily and leaves skin feeling silky smooth! Plus Beautycounter products never contain synthetic fragrances or more than 1,500 questionable chemicals on The Never List. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>3. LIP GLOSS/CHAPSTICK/LIPSTICK </b>- this was a must for me to replace ASAP. I love to be kissing my little girls 100 times a day so I needed something that would be safe on their precious little bodies as well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Replace with - Beautycounter Lip Gloss </b>($29) is all I need to make me feel pretty before heading out the door. Nourishing, silky smooth - I couldn't ask for anything more! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I also carry <b>Dr. Bronner's Naked Organic Lip Balm</b> ($3)- smooth, easy and no harsh ingredients. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>4. FOUNDATION</b> - make-up foundation is another one that sits on your skin all day long. Foundations often contain emollients and emulsifiers that may be contaminated with known carcinogens. Yikes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Replace with</b> - Beautycounter Tint Skin Hydrating Foundation ($42) - so much safer to have on all day! The Tint Skin Hydrating Foundation blends so well with your skin so you don't have to change colors as the seasons change. Easily buildable to add more coverage and hydrating as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>5. FLUIDS </b>- Just drink water people! Water is so good for your skin and for your health. Water helps you flush out toxins and your body needs lots to function properly. So ditch the pop, juice, and whatever else you're drinking, and grab yourself a big tall glass of water!</span></div>
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Bridget Castanedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14570535014579167744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2068110779439995908.post-7636117644382082092018-12-22T18:22:00.000-08:002018-12-22T18:22:24.364-08:00Minnie Outfits for Toddler Girl<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So excited that we scored tickets for Disney On Ice - Mickey’s Search Party, coming to Minneapolis in March 2019! If you are looking to go to a Disney on Ice show, I highly recommend signing up for their emails, as subscribers are able to buy tickets pres-sale, so you can score the best seats - </span><a href="https://www.disneyonice.com/mickeys-search-party?h=1" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.disneyonice.com/mickeys-search-party?h=1</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-319c7cd8-7fff-885a-3c9d-e977677242b2" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have heard so many parents say that this show is so worth it. To see the absolute joy of your children watching their favorite characters in awe is the best thing ever. It is also much cheaper than a trip to Disney.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I couldn’t be more excited for Isabel to see all the Disney magic.I had to find the perfect outfit for her to wear to the show. I spent hours searching to find just the right one, so I wanted to share my "research" with you all. These outfits would be great for going to a Disney on Ice show, going to Disney or just for fun! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Let me know which one you like better - red or pink! </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Items are linked below</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=286244032&CAWELAID=120299900001863053&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=59094338109&CATCI=pla-532273955977&tid=onpl000017&kwid=1&ap=7&gclid=Cj0KCQiA6dLgBRDoARIsAJgoM4v1gVIQmQm64XX8mS-IvQWa-UA8-dj6elBsEjLSEDQcZ1sTZjC_1SwaAjq3EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">1. White Black Dot Dress / Old Navy</a> <a href="https://www2.hm.com/en_us/productpage.0687066002.html" target="_blank">2. Red White Vest / H&M</a> <a href="https://www.zozubaby.com/collections/extras/products/spotted-hair-tie" target="_blank">3. White Black Dot Bow</a> <a href="https://www.nike.com/t/converse-chuck-taylor-all-star-low-top-2c-10c-infant-toddler-shoe-7BVVqY/7J236-600" target="_blank">4. Red Converse / Nike</a> <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/229851460/minnie-mouse-leggings-hand-painted?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=minnie+mouse+leggings&ref=sr_gallery-1-7&organic_search_click=1&col=1" target="_blank">5. Black Leggings / KickinLegs</a> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIFQfMfxjtwjj3mgfoRHqZoYJACdzLmx0g52GoA7D72af_uHFfThSK2K_9mrCGot-bLw6NGLM7LjQXI-KeoEKW2bVVCkPYshGHQO30gmF-T9Cs24nSPTphNdTeqw3h-NZtytrYQ11Joc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-12-15+at+3.21.26+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="566" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIFQfMfxjtwjj3mgfoRHqZoYJACdzLmx0g52GoA7D72af_uHFfThSK2K_9mrCGot-bLw6NGLM7LjQXI-KeoEKW2bVVCkPYshGHQO30gmF-T9Cs24nSPTphNdTeqw3h-NZtytrYQ11Joc/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-12-15+at+3.21.26+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.theeverco.co/shop/believe-in-the-magic-kids" target="_blank">1. Grey Sweatshirt / The Ever Co</a> <a href="https://www.target.com/p/toddler-girls-leggings-cat-jack-153-ivory-glitter/-/A-53819682?preselect=53399450#lnk=sametab" target="_blank">2. White Sparkle Leggings / Target</a> <a href="https://www2.hm.com/en_us/productpage.0698139001.html" target="_blank">3. Pink Minnie High Tops / H&M</a> <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/621840153/light-pink-polka-dot-bow-large-and-small?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=pink+polka+dot+bow&ref=sr_gallery-1-15" target="_blank">4. Pink White Dot Bow / BrookeKimmigandCo</a></span></span></div>
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Bridget Castanedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14570535014579167744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2068110779439995908.post-44366959205665953782018-12-07T10:06:00.000-08:002018-12-07T19:53:56.687-08:00SmartBeat - A Baby Monitor from the Future<div style="color: #222222;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When Isabel was first born, our baby monitor was my lifesaver. My brand new little baby slept in a pack and play right next to our bed. I could literally reach out and touch it with my hand, but I couldn't lift my body up to check her every two minutes like I wanted to, because of the c-section. I would sleep with the baby monitor in my hand, so I could check on her every 2 minutes and make sure she was okay. Every mom knows that first year, you worry about losing your baby when they are sleeping. Every time they sleep longer, you wake up in a panic because what if they didn't make it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Smartbeat Video Baby Monitor to momma's rescue!</b> It tracks your baby's breath with a camera,<b> alarming you if they were to stop breathing.</b> Those of you who have been to my house know that our house is filled with cameras. I roll my eyes every time Javi brings home a new one BUT this is one camera that I am truly excited to have in our house!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I got to sit down with Erin Wagner, the marketing director of SmartBeat, see a demo and hear a little bit more about the SmartBeat story. The launch of their baby monitor was unexpectedly moved up to next week because they have had so many families contacting them - moms bringing home preemies from the hospital, or families of baby's with asthma that have been asking them to launch as soon as possible. Seriously, how awesome <b>the peace that this monitor will give so many families</b>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Other amazing features the SmartBeat Monitor offers</b>- </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-Follows your baby when they move in their sleep (355 degree pan/tilt)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-Sends a notification to your phone when your baby falls asleep and when they wake up </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-Shows you a chart of your baby's breathing and tells you their current breathing rate</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-Sends an alarm if you baby stops breathing</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-HD video and night vision</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I feel so relieved that this time around, when there is a moment for this momma to sleep, I can hit the pillow without any worries and catch a few hours of zzzz's.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You can catch your own SmartBeat monitor in just a few days. They start shipping December 10th - just in time for Christmas. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Check out this video for a look at the app - <a href="https://vimeo.com/295254211">Meet Smartbeat - Video Baby Monitor with Breath Detection</a></span></div>
Bridget Castanedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14570535014579167744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2068110779439995908.post-67645604419894235832018-11-02T11:52:00.000-07:002018-11-02T12:16:09.718-07:00Potty Training - What We Learned on Our Adventure<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I by no means pretend to be a potty training expert. I just want to share my tips and </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">When I mentioned on my Instagram stories that we would be potty training over the </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">weekend, and that I was less than excited, people came out of the woodwork everywhere </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">saying “ha, good luck”, “praying for you” and things that were worrying me even more. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Yeah, potty training seemed like a big deal for me but I never realized how huge of a </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">change it was going to be for Isabel. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Let’s get to the mistakes first and that I’ll tell you what I may have actually done right. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>First mistake - not dedicating 3 full days to potty training</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">. If you are going to attempt potty training with the faster method, you need a </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">full 3 days, trust me! I had read an article that said preferably 3 but you could do it in 2. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I don’t recommend it. I needed her to go back to daycare in underwear because </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">"potty training weekend" is HARD and you don't want to have to do it again. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">We made a pact that we “threw out those pull-ups” (we didn’t really as she will still use </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">them for bedtime) and we were not going to be going back. I think the second day was </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">the hardest and for us there was a lot more regression than there was progress. It would </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">have been hard for me to send her back to daycare on the 3rd day, knowing that she </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">was frustrated and not on board with potty training. Daycare has definitely helped us in </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">the adventure, but Isabel still needed lots of one on one coaching that 3rd day to start to </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">feel good again about potty training.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Second Mistake - Forcing her to sit on the potty.</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> Every kid is different but I think the best way for most kids to learn will be to ask them </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">a million times a day “Do you have to go potty?” and let them answer “Yes” when they </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">need to. This will also make your life much easier when you have a child that knows </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">when to ask/tell you that they need to use the bathroom, as opposed to you having to </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">force them every 20 minutes. The second day, we had planned on going out to Target </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">to have Isabel pick out some new underwear as a treat for doing so well. I forced her to </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">sit on the potty before we were leaving (which is a nice habit to instill) but it totally </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">backfired in my face. She didn’t want to and after that she totally revolted against potty </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">training and was a wild child all night. Could that have happened on the second day </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">anyways, even if I haven’t forced her to sit on the potty? Maybe. But I would just say </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">skip forcing them to do something that they don’t want to do. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Third Mistake - Not preparing enough. </b>B</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">esides not planning for 3 days, I also didn’t prepare enough for the time we would be </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">spending locked in our house. <span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">For everyone's sanity, you are going to want things to do!</span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I wish I had more juice, treats, toys, rewards, things to do on hand for the three long days</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">we spent potty training. Watching long movies is not a good idea since they won't be </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">thinking about what their body needs but we did watch Daniel Tigers potty episode </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">(Season 2, Episode 1) once/day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Ok, now what we did right... </b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Every child is different but for us this is what worked pretty well. We waited until she </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">was ready, </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">actually probably even a little past that. Isabel was already </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">successfully using </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">the potty a few times a week and was always interested in checking </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">out the public bathrooms whenever we were out. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Saturday morning when Isabel woke up, I went in her room and told her “Yay, today </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">you are going to practice using the potty and we are going to have a potty party. No </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">more pull ups for you, you are a big girl now!” She thought about it for a second and </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">then said “No.” So I told her “Guess who’s going to learn to potty train with you? Daniel </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Tiger!” Then she was excited. It doesn’t have to be Daniel Tiger, but we did love this toy, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">but </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>I recommend having a doll or action figure or something that your child can learn to potty train with</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">. Every time Isabel sat on the potty, so did Daniel Tiger. When Isabel wouldn’t </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">listen to me about something, I would tell Daniel Tiger to do it and why we do it that way. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Daniel Tiger would get excited about Isabel’s wins and we would get excited about his too. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">We told Isabel that we threw away all the pull-ups, because she was a big girl now. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The first day we had her run around with no pants on and watched her like a hawk for </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">any sign of needing to go to the bathroom. Then we had her sit on the potty and when </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">she went potty in the potty, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>we got really excited and had a few rewards for her</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> - she got to stamp a smiley face on her hand and get 1 fingernail painted each time. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">On the second day we added underwear, because you are always trying to add something </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">to make it fun again, but if you can wait until the 3rd day to add underwear, that would </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">probably be best. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">We never got mad when Isabel had an accident but we would immediately put her on the </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">potty and say "Oops, pee goes in the potty, remember?". I read not to say "that's okay" </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">because then it is not affirming that they need to be going to the bathroom in their potty. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Find what speaks to your child. On Sunday, Isabel told me that she went potty in the potty </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">like a princess. We had been telling her she was such a big girl but as soon as she said that it switched. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Talk to them in their language. If your child likes superheros, tell them how superheroes use the potty!</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Be ready to have patience. </b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">They will test your patience over these 3 days but also for the next 2- 4 weeks. Using </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">the potty while out and about is a new adventure too and you probably want to plan a </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">little more time to be in your house for a whole month, because they practice makes </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">perfect and practicing at home is easiest.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">More Resources:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Our Daniel Tiger Potty Training Doll</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">https://www.target.com/p/daniel-tiger-s-neighborhood-potty-time-daniel-tiger/-/A-52109729</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Smiley Face Hand Stamp</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085Y86V8/ref=sxr_rr_xsim_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=9ddc66f6-9fc0-49ff-b2fa-06a39d9859e6&pd_rd_wg=9Xzh7&pf_rd_r=BTPCRSBS23V89RB7KE6R&pf_rd_s=desktop-rhs-carousels&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B0085Y86V8&pd_rd_w=0rran&pf_rd_i=hand+stamp&pd_rd_r=8abef5ec-4e8a-44ed-8197-41b0bc6e345a&ie=UTF8&qid=1541184443&sr=1</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Princess Potty Book</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545172969/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Potty Training Article</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://www.lucieslist.com/toddlerhood/the-two-day-method-potty-training/</span></div>
Bridget Castanedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14570535014579167744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2068110779439995908.post-20586628232197443422018-04-25T13:36:00.000-07:002018-04-25T18:48:59.847-07:00Birth Story<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Isabel was due May 3rd. That day came and went… My good friend had invited me to a Cinco de Mayo party a month before and I told her “I’m sorry, I hope I don’t make it to your party. I hope I am home with a newborn baby but if I’m still waiting, I’ll come.” So of course, May 7th, her Cinco de Mayo party comes around and I’m still pregnant... not exactly what I had pictured. I decide it will be good to get out of the house. So I got out of bed, got out of my PJs, got ready, pulled up my big girl panties and went to the party.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There was a smorgasbord of food and drinks, most of which was off limits for prego. I ate a salad and parked myself in the same chair the whole time. People commented that I looked uncomfortable and tired. It didn’t bother me. I was uncomfortable and tired. We were only there for an hour when I started to feel sick. We had to document that I made it to her party though, so we ran outside to photograph it. A few snaps, a hug, and Javi and I headed home.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfEGuUsEjRj4jON6bZoef4jX8s1MCouS_XXASARccgYdp82CEMq4ya-sjG9fJyr3T8cV6auIZ7UeeOLmMOJf4AJ9DCE5fTZ1ZWt96dlswqlu2ORooCq_VXOTG7lsOcrXsZ2gLDKOqLPPI/s1600/IMG_6384+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="494" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfEGuUsEjRj4jON6bZoef4jX8s1MCouS_XXASARccgYdp82CEMq4ya-sjG9fJyr3T8cV6auIZ7UeeOLmMOJf4AJ9DCE5fTZ1ZWt96dlswqlu2ORooCq_VXOTG7lsOcrXsZ2gLDKOqLPPI/s320/IMG_6384+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Look at that bump! Not sure stripes are the best choice when you are that big. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As soon as we got home, my water broke. I told Javi we need to call the hospital to see if we should go in.. He said “just wait, let me take a quick nap, we could be up all night.” Uhhh, no way Jose. We called and headed into the hospital. They confirmed that my water broke and that I was 4 cm dilated. It’s 5pm and we head to a laboring room.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The first nurse that I had was more than I could have ever wanted. I had pictured how I wanted my birth to go. Most women do, but I had spent a lot of time picturing it. I was afraid of being in labor for 18-24 hours and in the birthing class we took, they scared me away from having an epidural because it usually slows labor down. Since I was not planning on having the epidural, I needed to be prepared with how I would deal with pain and I did a lot of research. I brought a folder in my hospital bag of pain management techniques for each stage of labor. The first nurse I had seemed like a freakin doula. She was pulling out the essential oils, putting me in the bath, having me bounce on an exercise ball. By midnight, I was 10 cm and ready to push. Everything was going as planned. They called and had a pediatric nurse bring in the hospital bassinet cart and the other gadgets they would need for when new baby arrives. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That image of the bassinet cart is forever in my mind. The nurse brought it in and set it all up. There was a blanket and a hat. There was a light to warm the baby and a screen to monitor the baby. It was so surreal. In only a short amount of time, there would be a baby in that bassinet, under the light, our baby. How would it all happen? The time was almost here. It was like I could see my dream becoming a reality right in front of my eyes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It didn’t happen that way. Isabel was not born for another 10 hours. At midnight my favorite nurse’s shift ended and my next nurse was the exact opposite of the first. It could have literally been her first day working solo in the labor and delivery wing… I labored for 6 hours, opted for the epidural as I ended up having back labor (probably because Isabel was backwards), and they gave me pitocin to speed up the contractions. The pitocin didn’t work. Isabel never dropped and 2 hours later a new nurse started her shift. At this point, they decided I was going to need a c-section. I had not planned for that. That was not in any of my research. I had not wanted it to end that way. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Luckily one of the doctors I had seen in the clinic, just the week prior, was working that morning. Almost crying, I said, I know I probably can’t pick my own doctor but do you think she could do the c-section? I got to have the doctor I wanted. That was a small win in my book. She came in and talked to us about how the c-section would work and why it needed to be that way. 10 minutes later we were prepping for the surgery.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As if it hadn’t already been a whirlwind, now I was going to have a c-section. Javi couldn’t come in for the first 5 minutes, so I was all alone. I started to cry. The anesthesiologists tried to cheer me up, making jokes about how he had a crush on his Spanish teach in high school. Finally Javi got to come in and I felt better. The c-section took so much longer than I would have thought. They got Isabel out and Javi went with her to clean her up and do all the tests. It was so awkward that I was just waiting there, still in surgery, with no updates…. Like hello, anyone want to let me in on how the baby is doing?!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">They brought her over and laid her next to me. I felt terrible from all the drugs in my system. The sleep deprivation, I hadn’t eaten more than a salad in the last 20 hours. I was shaking, I felt nauseous. I asked them to take Isabel away. I needed to concentrate on myself and getting through this.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I don’t remember moving back to a regular room after the c-section. I don’t remember getting to hold Isabel for the first time. I wish I could remember those things but I have other memories of holding her those first few days. Isabel was born on Mother’s Day. Thank godness. If I had to spend Mother’s Day without my 5 day overdue baby, I would have been miserable. Javi asked every nurse that we had that day if they had kids and thanked them for spending their Mother’s Day taking care of his wife and his new baby. He was smitten with his little family. I was too.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">An hour after, it didn’t matter that nothing went as I had planned out in my head. I soon found out that nothing with babies ever goes as planned. Her birth was a perfect introduction of how our life would be from here on out. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Weeks later, I kept replaying it in my head. I was disappointed that I had the epidural and that my body couldn’t birth Isabel “like it should have.” I wondered if I had done something wrong and I needed to grieve what had happened. It seems silly, both of us were healthy and I was so lucky to receive this amazing gift from God. You have so many emotions though after having a baby, you never know what you’ll feel.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now almost 2 years later, writing this all out, I’ve already forgotten so much of our birth story and am so glad I took the chance to write it down. I have finally stopped wishing that my story had been different and accepted it just the way it was. </span></span></div>
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Bridget Castanedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14570535014579167744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2068110779439995908.post-49728864931958248582018-04-18T18:42:00.000-07:002018-04-18T19:09:29.824-07:00Itching to Teach Your Kids Spanish but Don’t Know Where to Start?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have been working on teaching Spanish to our daughter and she learns so fast! But as a non-native Spanish speaker, it can be mentally draining for me. I’m not kidding you, as fast as I can learn it, she learns it. If my Spanish was better, she would be learning so much right now. Like come on mom, pick up the pace!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">You don’t need to speak a second language perfectly, or even that well at all. You can expose your </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">child to a second language at any level. Starting early is key because that’s when you control their </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">environment the most. Babies learn languages with amazing speed and teaching a language to a </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">child has many other benefits like increased creativity, patience (yes please!) and the ability to learn </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">even more languages. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Some easy ways to add Spanish to your kids life</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Songs in Spanish (Spotify/Pandora/YouTube)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Programs in Spanish (Change any Netflix show to Spanish by changing the audio options when you </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">are on the show description page)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Books in Spanish (there are so many out there, just check amazon! I hope to do a blog post soon </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">on our favorites)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Speaking Spanish</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Spanish Immersion Daycare/School</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">-Go on vacation to a Spanish speaking country (<<< obviously MY FAV and will help us keep up </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Isabel’s Spanish as she gets older)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Sometimes it’s exhausting but it’s all worth it, for us. Spanish is an important part of Isabel’s </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Mexican heritage, we love speaking Spanish at home together and I know it will help her </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">academically and hopefully even professionally one day. Isabel speaks mostly Spanish now </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">because that's what she's exposed to, but she picks up English words everywhere so easily. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I'm telling you, kids are so efficient at learning languages.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Tu puedes hacerlo también!</span></div>
Bridget Castanedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14570535014579167744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2068110779439995908.post-27523410032283824982018-04-11T14:23:00.001-07:002018-04-11T14:29:34.687-07:00Be There<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I started writing about a different topic this week but as Isabel’s 2nd birthday started creeping up, it was the only thing I could think about. When she turned 1, I couldn’t believe how fast the year had gone by but I was too busy to think about it. I was planning her birthday, getting her 1 year pics taken, and changing her eating schedule from 6 bottles a day to actual meals with big girl food, plus a few bottles in between. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/1yoOeccmRcpbRAEBE5dC1pmdwMZQ3XtCzsL9_JidRId_9nXU9BOwyE-lKm_tumj_kakPZ-IazR-ftB5s-POj2bsf3SLXIPjZBP2eGtJ0FtIO9_vPgXGj_n8kibtGrIw-zOEBte3Q" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/1yoOeccmRcpbRAEBE5dC1pmdwMZQ3XtCzsL9_JidRId_9nXU9BOwyE-lKm_tumj_kakPZ-IazR-ftB5s-POj2bsf3SLXIPjZBP2eGtJ0FtIO9_vPgXGj_n8kibtGrIw-zOEBte3Q" style="border: none; cursor: move; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(photo credit - Avi Paiz Photography)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This year as her birthday creeps up, I’m not too busy to feel all the feels that a year has passed by in what feels like a minute. As she reads a book in the living room by herself or goes to bed on her own, I have all the time in the world to think about it. And thinking about it makes me want to cry my eyes out because time this year just passed by SO FAST. She makes me want to slow down time and take it all in.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So I will try the best I can to slow down time. I will sit and play with her more often. I will give her a morning of my full attention. I will cuddle with her on the couch as we watch Daniel Tiger together. (Seriously, before kids, I thought "those moms" that watch TV with their kids were so weird... and now I am one of them)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But when time still passes by, just as fast, I will need to tell my brain to “knock it off”. I don’t want to be sad. My daughter is learning and growing so fast and I would never want her to stop learning or growing. When those thoughts creep back in, I am going to tell myself, “Be there”. All I can do is try to me more present when I am around her. I’m not going to beat myself up about needing to pick up the house when she is there or about having a night out with friends. My mind is a powerful tool and sometimes I need to come up with my own little “mantra” to make sure that I am using it for good. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So I guess this weeks blog post is a reminder to me. To “be there” and to tell myself to “be there”. I can’t promise I won’t cry once or twice when this little one turns 2 but that’s okay too. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Look at this almost 2 year old... </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-YGpVf-ZbLqNouXEMPyPgWSLBdiiUB-NGMjoBXz6EXBmnNilgTS3I5DAEkpF6fxNj-eQ1xf-Hhrq8N6xYTaVI9JcSW1iKIc4c_xE0HrepaLoz7KK5tnAPgYP84UpG7c0iANGAHu4tEk/s1600/ACS_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-YGpVf-ZbLqNouXEMPyPgWSLBdiiUB-NGMjoBXz6EXBmnNilgTS3I5DAEkpF6fxNj-eQ1xf-Hhrq8N6xYTaVI9JcSW1iKIc4c_xE0HrepaLoz7KK5tnAPgYP84UpG7c0iANGAHu4tEk/s320/ACS_0036.JPG" width="239" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">By the way, Isabel’s 2nd birthday party theme is farm animals! Stay tuned to see pics of the big day. I should make my husband wear overalls with a cowboy hat right?</span></span></div>
Bridget Castanedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14570535014579167744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2068110779439995908.post-65549616815783668442018-03-28T17:59:00.000-07:002018-03-28T17:59:33.082-07:008 Mom Hacks to Becoming a Happier Momma<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each child is so unique and each momma too. Here are some of the hacks that have worked for me but they are by no means universal. Because some moms need to have a clean house to feel stress free and some kids need more attention… </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Coffee! Because how the heck are you supposed to make it through the day without the help of something strong. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3lk_AV1Q6-GoQoi-2UhP7zfW7MNLmsU_lVFcEMozfncKDpPr_L0aM9LkIZj_LHT139KfcG2obOhJrJIWSA9tjnuGx_-YtknPfV-4Dxl1_suqiOLqMTSn1YvTvsjbuplgD7cP_hI0N6s/s1600/image1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3lk_AV1Q6-GoQoi-2UhP7zfW7MNLmsU_lVFcEMozfncKDpPr_L0aM9LkIZj_LHT139KfcG2obOhJrJIWSA9tjnuGx_-YtknPfV-4Dxl1_suqiOLqMTSn1YvTvsjbuplgD7cP_hI0N6s/s200/image1.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 2. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your house doesn’t have to be perfectly clean. Pay someone to clean your house once/twice a month (worth every penny ladies) and spend 30 minutes scrambling to clean the whole house before you have guests over. My husband and I also tackle the main level for 10 minutes every night before we go to bed so the house feels cleaner and I feel accomplished.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Don’t compare your baby to other babies or yourself to other moms. Every baby and every mom is unique. Babies grow in different areas and at different speeds. And moms, don’t waste your time trying to be something that you aren’t.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Feed your child Easy Mac or PB&J every once in awhile… or a lot… because who has time to spend 45 minutes cooking a healthy meal only to have your child scream that they want yogurt instead. In our house we shoot for one healthy meal a day(and if she went to daycare, let’s hope it was lunch).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Talk to your partner. Communicate when you are having a rough day or just need some help with the chores. Tell your partner to communicate with you when he needs something as well, because when you are a mom it’s too hard to notice the subtle cues that he’s trying to show you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Don’t have too many toys out at once, you’ll just end up cleaning them up EVERY night, until your kids are old enough to clean up their own toys… when is that again? Keep most of the toys stored away out of sight and you can rotate out a few at a time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. Recruit help. From your parents, from your partner, get your groceries delivered. Don’t try to do it all by yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">8. Wine! Or TV or Instagram or whatever you need to relax. Because raising those little ones is mentally exhausting, especially when they start talking back… </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnu6ktAy0fSuQvYtDJprgZ2tDxnun7pYIk92pM3Ht5R6uJUFIHnheO2ej9u26kKDn-NF2vdzNpxk5W2vw4PwtWyfVVT8HasxDMILcLXFUQqvEfcTGJMU6DC9ZjRvscGB7qb0Xf4zdIHM/s1600/image2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnu6ktAy0fSuQvYtDJprgZ2tDxnun7pYIk92pM3Ht5R6uJUFIHnheO2ej9u26kKDn-NF2vdzNpxk5W2vw4PwtWyfVVT8HasxDMILcLXFUQqvEfcTGJMU6DC9ZjRvscGB7qb0Xf4zdIHM/s320/image2.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve always wanted to be a supermom. One of those moms that you look at and you wonder, how do they do it all? But, you know what, every mom is a super mom. Look at that tiny person that you’ve created. That little one that amazes you every day. You created that. Their hair, their manners, their words, their bellies, their laughs, their spunk, their personality… you were and still are a huge part of that, and only a supermom could do that.</span></span></div>
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Bridget Castanedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14570535014579167744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2068110779439995908.post-31877531467571787092018-03-21T18:34:00.000-07:002018-03-21T18:34:34.033-07:00Can Money Make You Happy?<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnk92XeUcIqFmEQE6OQ6njcmd0ahNJvtg7q6yeqJ0ioMFWH5NSh_kfzRmBf9nvwYTXmga16L4XYcSBbebH8eNnZTqTCb0fXlAEW6Z4uzAZf3Gij9c1fRKWIOWUgO53cp1jvi8r6rIz2M/s1600/ACS_0022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnk92XeUcIqFmEQE6OQ6njcmd0ahNJvtg7q6yeqJ0ioMFWH5NSh_kfzRmBf9nvwYTXmga16L4XYcSBbebH8eNnZTqTCb0fXlAEW6Z4uzAZf3Gij9c1fRKWIOWUgO53cp1jvi8r6rIz2M/s320/ACS_0022.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Can Money Make You Happy? I</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> think that it can, if you spend it on the right things.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was taught growing up that money couldn’t make you happy. Not true. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Money did make us happy. Even though my parents were far from weathly, </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">t</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">he things they choose to spend their money on, made us happy. We </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">went on vacation every year, even if it was just to a small town here in </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Minnesota. We have so many stories from those trips. The memories those</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">dollars brought us were priceless. Now that I have a family of my own, I </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">want the same for us. I want to spend our money on experiences together, </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">creating memories.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This Christmas we visited my in-laws in Mexico and it brought back thoughts </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">of trips when I was younger. Although, Isabel won’t remember this trip, we </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">will remember it and we will have pictures and stories to tell her as she grows. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8uclLjea-RfowIxJtL7hCJrOhd5VISWXUGVyj4LO_z4R9wnPmIqPquAi8MBr0iOTPHX0vhsGny71y7Sl4OqBdjmEqGm5QlLBKimhyphenhyphen-fU8ND6JGaATdLRuM4Jj2xtNOm-dKwAnROJc1k/s1600/IMG_3908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8uclLjea-RfowIxJtL7hCJrOhd5VISWXUGVyj4LO_z4R9wnPmIqPquAi8MBr0iOTPHX0vhsGny71y7Sl4OqBdjmEqGm5QlLBKimhyphenhyphen-fU8ND6JGaATdLRuM4Jj2xtNOm-dKwAnROJc1k/s320/IMG_3908.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I love spending money on travel and experiences and so glad my husband does </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">too. It’s a little trickier traveling with a little one but we will continue to do it. The </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">memories that we are making with every trip we take are priceless. I am so </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">grateful for the money that pays for these trips. That money makes me very </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">happy!</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately, the reason people usually say that money can't make you happy </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">is because many people try to experience happiness by buying things. I am </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">guilty too. I think that painting or that dress will make me happy. Happiness </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">from buying material things is so fleeting.There will be always more and more </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">things to purchase.</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Buying material things drains your wallet and will also drive you crazy. Always </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">remember, whatever you buy, will need a place in your house…. This drives </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">me crazy! I will often not buy things just because I hate storing things in our </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">small house. Thankfully this saves me a lot of money. Anyone else?</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I could go on forever about the topic of money but maybe another day. Just </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">wanted to remind everyone, myself included, to stop buying stuff you don’t </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">need! Consumerism in America is insane. Instead, spend that money on spending </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">time with the ones you love. Because memories last much longer than things. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And Just Smile :)</span></span></div>
Bridget Castanedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14570535014579167744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2068110779439995908.post-75563025331386994292018-03-14T17:03:00.000-07:002018-03-14T18:02:55.614-07:00Stop Comparing!<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Scrolling through Instagram and what do you see? Most likely you will see beautiful, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">put together </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">people, traveling or hanging out in glamorous places, children acting </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">perfect, smiling and hugging </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">their siblings, amazing home decor “DIY” projects that </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">are way too pretty to be true and more </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">beautifully unreal photos.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-165391d6-2719-7003-db36-0ab3ef4938f0" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">These photos often make people feel like they should be doing all those things, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">looking that good </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">doing it and smiling big like the families in the Instagram photos </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">but don’t let yourself forget that </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">these photos are not real life.They look at these </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">photos and say I wish I traveled there, had those </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">clothes and took better photos.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">These stunning photos are the 1 out of 100 takes. They are filtered and possibly </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">altered. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">Photography is an art and photographers are good at making things look </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">more amazing than they </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">actually are.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">It’s not just people on social media. Stop comparing yourself to your friends, your </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">coworkers, your </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">neighbors, anyone. Instead of thinking about what you don’t have, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">or what you “need”, start thinking </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">about what you do have.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Things I have and am thankful for:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I’m happy that I have a job</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I’m lucky that my parents are healthy and help us out by babysitting every once in awhile</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I’m grateful that I get to spend every Wednesday with my little chiquita </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I’m thankful that I have friends that keep in touch even when life gets busy</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-165391d6-271b-b6da-4df0-db55132d1d87"></span><br /></span>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I’m blessed by my husband who is such an amazing and patient father</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Now it's your turn- Can you name 5 things that you are thankful for?</span></div>
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</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Take a few minutes to come up with 5 things you are thankful for. Making a practice of </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">doing this </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">every day, or every time you find yourself comparing yourself to someone else.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">Comparing yourself </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">to others will only hurt yourself. Instead build yourself up by </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">remembering what YOU HAVE.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">And Just Smile :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fj3bB_U5epXMCgu4L9rRJlqlFmkgk3otMAZ_qNiOP7aXQh2CCIs0yrSJGJ3cTLgxJN5iBRzkV3Ee43iMQL0CV-SgD5Orx2pbbTkUPXs1vly6AgeVtoe8gv0mClGcqGLvzFbbQlXKYaY/s1600/ACS_0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fj3bB_U5epXMCgu4L9rRJlqlFmkgk3otMAZ_qNiOP7aXQh2CCIs0yrSJGJ3cTLgxJN5iBRzkV3Ee43iMQL0CV-SgD5Orx2pbbTkUPXs1vly6AgeVtoe8gv0mClGcqGLvzFbbQlXKYaY/s320/ACS_0015.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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Bridget Castanedahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14570535014579167744noreply@blogger.com1