Vacationing with a Toddler

Being a working mom, I tend to constantly look forward to my next 'break'. That is, when we send Ava off to stay with the in-laws for a night or two, and we head to a swanky hotel for some RnR.
But now that Ava is two, we decided that she would benefit from coming with us on our weekend trips!

 "But how will that be relaxing, chasing a toddler round all weekend?" I hear you cry?

 Two words: Family Resort!

 After doing some research, I want to share the resort we chose, that is local to us here in Texas, because let's be honest, who wants to drive for 8 hours with a toddler? Not I, said the fly.

 Great Wolf Lodge - Grapevine TX

 https://www.greatwolf.com/grapevine/

A photo posted by Great Wolf Lodge (@greatwolflodge) on Dec 17, 2015 at 6:37pm PST

Can you say AMAZING. This place has so many amenities, I don't even know where to start.


For the little ones, there is Big Foot Pass, Whooping Hollow, and Cub Paw Pool with a friendly 18 inch deep end. Heading into the evening, Ava will enjoy the Cub Club, and Storytime!

With a huge indoor water park with slides named Howlin Tornado, Coyote Canon, and Alberta Falls, I know my husband is going to be like a second toddler!

But what about the moms, I hear you ask? Well, I plan to start my weekend at the South Hot Springs, which sounds so relaxing! Just what I need! And of course, I will hit up the Elements Spa while Ben and Ava are hanging out at the pool!

Let's just say I'm more than a little excited about our weekend away!

5 Tips for Fall Makeup

With the weather turning cooler and the leaves turning golden, it's about time to pack away all those summer clothes and bring out the sweaters and boots! But as the weather cools down we also need to think about the changes in our skin, and the colors we use.

I have a naturally very pale skin tone, so I tend to do well with neutral colors anyway, but this is the general pallet you want to steer towards as the days get shorter and the natural light isn't as bright.

Here are my top tips for makeup during this fall season:

1. Dark lips are IN! Remember back in the 90's when everyone wore that same vampy rouge lip? Yep, it's back!

A photo posted by NYX Cosmetics (@nyxcosmetics) on Oct 20, 2015 at 1:10pm PDT

Remember to choose the color that works best with your skin tone. For me, it's dark reds and browns. You could even try a purple!


2. Exfoliate and moisturize! 

A photo posted by Clarisonic (@clarisonic) on Apr 16, 2015 at 11:19am PDT

The cooler air will dry out your skin. If you are able to splash out, a clarisonic works great alongside your regular cleanser, but for those on a budget, you can use a salt or sugar scrub mixed with olive oil. Yes, olive oil is actually great for your skin!

3.  Stay neutral! Think fall foliage, browns, golds, reds, greys. What you can wear,will of course depend on your skin tone.

A photo posted by Scrap Make Up Cuisine Shopping (@petit_bonheur2b) on Oct 25, 2015 at 12:39pm PDT

There are three types of pallets - pink undertones (also known as cool), neutral, and yellow undertones. A great example of the differences between these can be found in the Urban Decay Naked Pallets.

4. Keep contouring simple. Less is more!

Using a high quality angled brush, sweep your contouring powder in under your cheekbones. To find out where this is, just suck your cheeks in. A dab of highlighter on the top of your cheekbones, brows and nose will work in contrast. Use blush or bronzer to warm the face once you are done!

A photo posted by Lily Lolo (@lilylolouk) on Oct 8, 2014 at 11:18am PDT

5. Your brows shape your face. 

A photo posted by Anastasia Beverly Hills (@anastasiabeverlyhills) on Oct 24, 

There are various eyebrow products on the market to keep your brows 'on fleek', such as Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pomade, or ELF brow cream and powder.


And now for a quick photo of my favorite fall lipstick - Wet N Wild Matte Velvet Lipstick in 'Timeless Chic'. Happy Fall Y'all!

A photo posted by Clara 🇮🇪🇪🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@claramaria87) on Oct 25, 2015 at 1:56pm PDT

Dealing with the terrible not-quite twos...

It happens at least once a week. You go to daycare to pick up your toddler, and they are smiling and happy to see you...till it comes to getting them into the car. You somehow manage to wrangle them into the car seat, and on the trip home you realise the worst thing imaginable... you have no milk at home. 

So off to the store you trek, angsty toddler in tow, and the inevitable happens. A major meltdown complete with kicking, screeching, somehow defying the laws of physics by softening their whole body like jello so you can't hold them (someone needs to explain that to me). The onlookers stare as you try to drag your child who's now lying on the floor wailing like a banshee, all because you told them they couldn't open the bottle of hot sauce they picked up from the bottom shelf.

We've all been there...or have we?

Studies show that not all toddlers go through the terrible twos till they are almost three. In fact, some don't go through it at all.

I guess I just got lucky! Ava is 19 months old and as delightful, but also as stubborn as they come. She is brilliantly smart, but brilliantly defiant. She can count to ten and says please and thank you, but also knows how to ask for Sofia the First on netflix and will yell at you repeatedly till you oblige.

She knows what she wants, and she knows how to get it. Tantrums.

So how do we deal with these almost-daily showdowns? A few things have proven to work for us:

Distraction

Ava loves books. I try to always keep one with me to distract her from imminent meltdowns when we are out and about.

Food

More often than not, Ava gets moody when she is hungry. Or, hangry, if you will. Cheese or bananas can save the day in this case.

A bottle and a nap

Yes, my 19 month old still has a bottle. No, there are no plans to take it away. 

Ava never had a comfort of any kind, a lovey, a blanket, a favorite bear or doll. It was always her bottle, and sometime's it's the only way to relax her enough to sleep.

Time Out

This isn't  a time out in the traditional sense. We use it to take her from a situation, calm her down, talk to her and explain why she needs to listen. She has learned that it's a safe place to sit and regulate her emotions.

A bath

For some reason, a bath seems to work wonders! I always use a scented lavender bath wash, and let her play for a while, and it seems to help with her fussiness. 

Can anyone relate? Comment below on what works for you!

Hello!

Welcome to my blog, the crazy world of the corporate working mom! I know there are many of us out there who have our hands full with day to day tasks, chasing those toddlers and of course ensuring that we perform to a high standard at work…and let’s face it ladies..it can be exhausting!

So I thought I would start writing about my days and a little about my personal life too.

So let’s get to know each other a little better first!

I am Clara, and I work in Public Affairs for a national retailer. I get to do a lot of fun things like sponsorships with non-profits, event activations, and I also get to represent my company at luncheons and galas, which are definitely some things I will be blogging about! On a personal level, I have a soon-to-be two year old with the energy of a supernova, a teacher husband called Ben, and of course our little furries: Max and Tiger plus Griffin our puppy. 

So I guess you can say I’m kept pretty busy! Well, I also have a very dear love of makeup and cosmetics, so you will be sure to see me trying out some new things on here!

So that’s our little family, and I’m looking forward to getting feedback from you all!