3 day cold sore

Ever since I can remember I have been getting cold sores, fever blisters, nasty painful sores call it what you want. I get em. I normally get them once -twice a year, when I'm stressed, get too much sun, or when my skin is extra dry in the winter.

See that cold sore below my lip- Cute dress, cute hair, cute lil smile. Ugly as heck cold sore.

I feel the tingle and I get scared. It's time for my semi annual cold sore. I've tried everything to get rid of these suckers, but they normally last 7-10 dreadful days. I've tried the following:

• Abreva: Blah. This takes away the pain but that's about it., and for $20/microscopic tube. No thanks.
• Carmex: Blah. Takes away the pain. Does absolutely for my cold sore
• Popping the blisters. You need to do this carefully. One time I did this and received the worlds biggest cold sore covering my entire chin in return. A cold sore is a virus and if the popping is not done carefully the virus will spread. I repeat, the virus will spread!!!
• L-Lysine: I heard that taking L-lysine worked, so I would take 3/day . .this did absolutely nothing- you must take MUCH more.

I haven't had a cold sore in about 2.5 years. I thought the birth of mu daughter must have magically cured me from my cold sores forever. Man, I live in a fantasy world sometime- they came back alright. This cold sore time around I believe I found the quickest cure! I am on my third day and it's just about gone. Follow the steps below.

• When you feel the tingle immediately pop 3-4 L-lysine pills. L-Lysine can be found in the vitamin isle. This will be a gift from above for you during these 3 days. 

• Go out and buy some Quantum L-Lysine +. This is about $10, I found it at my local Walgreens. Day one of cold sore, apply this like CRAZY. It will relive the pain fast and start working right away to diminish your sore. The box says apply every 2 hours, I applied it every 30 mins or so- just go ahead and glob it on, don't be shy. The first day your cold sore will be noticeable and people will stare at it. This is the day my husband looks at me and cringes inside. I hate this day.
• During day one take 5000mg of L-lysine spread throughout the day. Most L-Lysine tablets come in 500mg, so take about 3-4 before each meal. If you feel like your taking too much then you are probably taking just enough.
• Repeat these steps on day two and day three. Your cold sore will pretty much skip the crusted over scabbed over, nasty phase and just start to get smaller and smaller on its on. Take the L-lysine pills until your cold sore is completely gone. 

That's it! There is no popping, picking, creating sketchy concoctions, or spending too much money on products that don't work. This has worked for me and I hope it does for you too!

What are tips or tricks you have found to work? Please share, I'd love to hear!

Christmas Tree perfection

I am obsessed with many things in this lil life of mine. Let's name a few; my kids, Christmas trees, and pictures. Each year I have this GRAND vision of a magical picture in front of the tree. And low and behold . .continuous epic fail- every single year! This year I was determined to change this.

I am NO photographer (and I mean NO), but here are a few tips on how to take a picture in front of your Christmas tree to look like this.

• I got my kids in the bath, into their warmest jammies and made them plain ole' happy and relaxed. I then bribed my son with candy to take a nice picture with his sister. 
• You must have every light in the house off. Turn off the TV and close the blinds- the only light should be from the tree
• Put your ISO as high as it will go, set the aperture at f 2.8, and shutter speed at 1/30.- BAM you're almost ready!
• Put those little wild nuggets in front of the tree and somehow make them sit there and NOT touch the ornaments- this will be the hardest part.
• Snap away (as quick as you can, those kids will move quick)!!!

My picture isn't perfect- but I think it captured the moment, the tree, and love between my son and his sister pretty well.

Now it's your turn to give it a try!!

Family Winter fun

One of the many reasons I moved to Colorado was to experience all 4 seasons. Growing up in Maine, winters were brutal. You barely want to leave your house. I am so lucky being in Colorado you really get to enjoy winter- There is a frigid blizzard one day and the next people are outside walking their dog in flip flops. This is no joke. My husband just put on his flip flops on to go to Panera Bread. It's December 5th. My point exactly.

I love finding new things to do with my family on weekends. As much as my husband just wants to sit down and relax on a cold (or warm) winters day, there will be none of that in my house. You don't have to stay inside all winter and watch TV- get out there and enjoy this beautiful season with your family, or even find indoor activity to keep those young minds busy!

1) Go sledding. I have done my fair share of sledding in my day and trust me, the best sledding occurs right after it snows.  Find a local big or small hill, put on your warm bib snow pants from 1999, strap on those LL Bean boots, find a sled and hit the hills!! This is a favorite childhood memory of mine, your kids won't forget it. I don't really know who has more fun sledding, my kids or I? According to the this picture, I definitely have more fun. I swear your kids will like sledding- we just had a slight melt down here.




2) Go ice skating. Now, I'm not talking about going to your local rink- that's lame. Feel the real ambiance- Go somewhere outside. Here in Colorado the lakes don't freeze too great, so we go to a man made outside rink (I know of one in Boulder and one outside the Flatirons Mall) In Maine, we would go to the local ponds- this is ideal.



3. When you pass one of the 15 Starbucks down that 1 mile road. Stop. Go inside. Sit down, relax, and pay for a very over priced hot chocolate. This is such a special (and expensive) treat for the wee ones. Plus, I love every time I can justify stopping for a latte when I have 18 K-cups sitting at home- this is one of those times.

4. Pack up the car and go cruise around the suburbs to look at Christmas lights. I like to do my research and find the best places in Westminster to go (you can google this) I make a little map and proceed to ordering my husband around Westminster Colorado to the coolest homes. I also like to blast Christmas music way too loud to really get in the spirit of things.




5.  Go to a local museum or aquarium. Winter is the perfect time of year to take advantage of those inside activities. Go on a nice cold day when it may be too cold to have the kids outside for too long.

6. Spend an entire day baking. I like to get Xavier involved when I cook. He gets a real sense of pride when he gets to help make something that he then gets to eat later. This also give me the opportunity to use my kitchen aid mixer that I seem to only use for my chicken shredding. Seriously? How did I justify buying one? I don't even bake.

7. Go outside and play in that snow! Guess what? If there is snow, you bet I am making the best of it.  I really enjoy keeping my husband company while he shovels the driveway by, building a fort, making a snowman, having a snowball fight, or making a snow angel. I kid, I kid, I help shovel. . .for about 34 seconds.

8. Build an indoor fort. What better time to make a complete mess of your house? I mean, you will have all the time in the world to clean it up when your stuck inside during those snow storms. Building a quality is really an art. I personally don't have that art. I get impatient and just throw blankets on top of the couch. Xavier thinks this is lame and now turns to daddy for help.

9. Have a movie night. Put on your favorite Pj's, make some popcorn, let your kids pick the movie, cuddle up and watch the entire movie. Yes, I mean start to finish . .with kids. I know, call me crazy- but having a movie night really is fun and can be done!

10. Make arts and crafts.  The last thing I am is crafty. But I sure like trying. Find a cool winter craft and spend an afternoon helping your kids create it. Make a mess, have fun, attempt to be creative and stay warm. Does it get better?










What do you like to do with your family during those cold winter months? Having fun doesn't have to cost much money! Get out there and enjoy your surroundings!

Preparing for family pictures

My brother in law is a professional photographer who happens to be AMAZING. This now means I am addicted to professional family pics- literally it consumes my brain. I think about places to go, outfits to wear and poses I want. I am sure my husband DREADS when I say "Don't make plans this weekend, we have family pics." This means he has to shave, wear something uncomfortable, and go crazy thinking about pictures with 2 wild nuggets.

Listen folks, if you have a couple hundred bucks ready to be spent, spend it on pictures! What better thing to spend it on than capturing these moments with your family?

This past weekend was our semi annual family picture day. My brother in law suggested we go to Red Rocks which was PERFECT! Our pictures came out amazing thanks to Hugo's eye for perfection. But below are a few tips that might help you find that perfect look you are looking for.

1) Dress in similar colors/theme. Don't wait until the day of your photo shoot to pick out some cute clothes. I have found that the best pictures are when there is a consistent theme going on. I have noticed that keeping colors neautral/earth tones really focuses the attention on the family expressions.

2) Avoid patterns/pictures/words on shirts. Go simple. If you want a timeless family portrait, avoid clothes that are overly trendy at that time. You don't want people viewing your pictures to be distracted by what your shirt says- too many patterns just gets to be too much.

3) Bring a few different outfits along with you. If not for you, for the kids. Kids really enjoy throwing up, pooping through their pants, drooling chocolate out of their mouths etc and messing up only the cutest outfits you put on them. It is also nice to get a few different looks.

4) Bring tons of snacks/distractions with you. The only time Charlotte would smile in our pics was when we waved a puppet or keys in front of her. . .she was also pretty thrilled when we were stuffing her with goldfish to contain the happiness, or when we jumped around and made the dumbest noises on earth.

5) Bribe your kids with whatever means nessesary. By the end of the photo shoot, I'm pretty sure Xavier was on the road to getting a bunch of new superheros if he "smiled sweet". He has since forgotten about it. Now, I'm  sure if this is the best tip, but it works and in the end isn't that all that matters? Yes? No?

6) Think about the look you want to go for. Urban, rustic, country etc. I love a beautiful background, and living in Colorado we have many options. Do your research, go somewhere with a memorable back drop. Hugo has done some amazing family photos just walking around downtown Denver- who knew?

7) Do some research ahead of time and think about some poses you may want- share this vision with your photographer. A great place to admire different poses is searching for "family pictures" on Pinterest.

8) Schedule your photo shoot when your kids are their happiest. In my family, you don't mess with morning nap, or waking anyone up too early. This could be bad. Real bad. Our shoot was scheduled at noon, right after morning nap but before afternoon nap. Charlotte did start melting down right at the end, this was OK, we still managed a cute crying pic of her.

I hope this helps your family take un cheesy, timeless, classic family pictures. While your thinking about pictures, check out my brother's work @ hugovphotography.com . . .you won't regret it. He's the bomb.com (when was the last time yoy heard that? 1999? I thought so, I just brought it back)

Traditional Posole

When I married my spanish speaking, mexican, dark skinned, gorgeous husband; I was just a lil white girl from Maine with absolutely NO cooking skills. When I say no cooking skills, I mean Kraft mac and cheese was pretty fancy with a hot dog added to it. Javy has since introduced me to all kinds of amazing mexican dishes . . .and set his expectations very high with my current cooking skills.

He wants his wife to cook the meals he remembers as a child. Ah crap. I had to somehow learn how to cook traditional mexican dishes. Great. Dish numero uno (like my spanish?) Posole. Javy loves posole maybe more than he loves me. Ok, maybe not- but definitely more than he loves hot cheetos. Definetly.

Here we go.

Ingredients:
5 California Chili Pods (Loma Vista)
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1 bag menudo mix
4-6 pigs feet halves
2 T tomato bouilon
3 T chili powder
56 oz of white hominy
2-3 lbs Pork shoulder/butt
1 bunch of cilantro
1 onion


Pull the stems off of the chili pods. Place chili pods in a blender with hot water. Let the chilis soak in this water while you prepare meat.

Dice up your pork. Don't be afraid of the fatty pieces, it gives it flavor. Once pork is nice and diced, place in your crock pot and pour entire package of menudo mix on it. Rub it into the meat really good.

Wash your hominy in a strainer.

Its now time to blend your chili pods. Blen well (its ok to have afew larger pieces of chili left). Pour this chili puree, tomoato sauce, hominy, tomato boulion, chili powder in the crock pot. Mix together well. Pour enough water in the crock pot to cover ingrediants & pigs feet.

*****IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE*****
You do not have to eat the pigs feet. I don't get near them with a 10 foot pole. HOWEVER, they give this soup a GREAT flavor. I wouldn't skimp on these. My husband loves them, and eats every piece of meat off the bone. . . .

Once stirred well and full of water. Cook on low for 8 hours. The pigs feet meat should be falling off the bone.

Serve with chopped up cilantro, chopped onion, a Dos Equis, and lime juice. LISTO! You are done. Enjoy this traditional mexican dish, I know Javy does.

Libby's Pumpkinhead Ribs

One night I was drinking my first Shipyard Pumpkinhead of the season- of course I had to announce it to the world on Facebook. An old high school friend of mine, Libby (she's not old, but high school seems so long ago) commented on my status update about how she likes to make Pumpkinhead ribs. Excuse me? Did I just hear pumpkin head ribs? My heart was singing and full of joy.

Libby e-mailed me the recipe. I had never been more excited to go out and buy some ribs and beer in my life. I decided to be a good wife and make these suckers for my husband. They were a DELIGHT! And best of all . .they were EASY PEASY LEMON BREEZY (how cheesy was that?)

Ingredients:

• 1 rack of pork ribs
• 2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice
• 3 Pumpkinhead beers

Directions

1. Tenderize ribs (use a fork and jab a bunch of holes in them, this is also a good way to get out any aggression you've kept inside that day). 
2. Rub the ribs with pumpkin pie spice. Don't be shy, rub em real good. 
3. Place ribs in your fearless crockpot. 
4. Crack open all 3 beers and dump them all over those glorious ribs. (This part is a little depressing, to pour beer onto raw ribs and not into a tall glass- no worries, you'll get over it when your chowing down on those ribs)

Cook on low for 8 hours. PRESTO! Your ribs are donezo! Was that not the easiest thing ever?

I served mine with mashed potatoes, and asparagus. My husband dipped his ribs in BBQ sauce. I ate them as is because I wanted to taste every bit of pumpkin on them. YUM!!

If you want an easy, flavorful, heavenly, seasonal, wonderful, amazing, incredible dinner, make this now.

What's your favorite fall recipe? Please share! I'm a sucker for anything that taste like Thanksgiving or Christmas. 

Top ten must have baby items

I will buy anything that has hype or has good reviews. My husband is the same exact way- we are still somehow a remarkably good match.  I am a sucker, I admit it. I have made my fair share of awful purchases in my day, but I have also made some GREAT baby purchases that I would like to share with all you soon to be moms. Put these items on your registry, you won't regret it!



1) This is the number one best baby product on the planet Earth. The Angelcare baby monitor: I actually didn't purchase it, a friend of mine let me borrow it for Charlotte. I am paranoid about everything when I am pregnant, and everything when I have my baby. I will probably be paranoid about everything for the rest of my life- I mean come on, I fear alien invasions. This monitor detects the baby's heartbeat- if there is no movement for 20 seconds the monitor will sound an alarm. I have had a few false alarms when Charlotte's body was just placed weird in her crib- but I would rather a few false alarms then for something more serious to happen to her and me not know it.

2) Bumbleride Indie stroller/Phil and Teds Explorer double stroller.- When I had only Xavier the Bumbleride Indie was the perfect stroller. It was lightweight (lightest weight jogging stroller), compact, yet very versatile. I could bring it hiking, running, or a quick mall trip- I loved it! When I had Charlotte I wanted a double stroller, but I didn't want something too bulky and boat like. The Phil and Teds was the perfect choice. It is NOT bulky, easy to travel with and still extremely versatile (which is rare for a double stroller).

3) Bouncer seat- This little cute seat was perfect for my newborn baby. I could place my baby in it when I cooked or attempted to clean. The vibration/music would put my baby right to sleep in no time. When Xavier had acid reflux, he had to sleep in a sitting up position. This bouncer seat was the only thing he could sleep in comfortably. We used it for so long that Xavier was basically crawling out of it. *This is a sign that your child is now too big for this seat*

4)Fisher price "My little lamb" swing- A swing is a must. I found that my babies would rather just be put in a swing then be rocked by me to sleep *tear*. Most newborns will love the rocking of the swing. I suggest a swing that moves either side-side or have the option to swivel front-back. If you can find a swing that plugs in- spend the extra bucks and buy it. My swing needed batteries which we had to replace every few weeks. By the way, replacing swing batteries is a mans job. I just had to throw that thought in there.


5) Gerber thermal receiving blanket- Skip the 10,000 cute colorful receiving blankets and buy a few of these. They are stretchy and stay wrapped around your baby when he/she is swaddled the BEST. I hated getting up at night to re swaddle my baby. Buy these and you will only wake up at night to go pee, no more re swaddling. SCORE!

6) MAM pacifier- Now every baby has their specific type of pacifier that they like, but both of my babies loved the MAM brand. I found that they stay in their mouth the best and fall out much less at night then other brands. I actually was so frustrated waking up at night to put the pacifier in my sons mouth that I went on a mad search to find a pacifier that stayed, this bad boy did the trick. An added bonus is that they come in CUTE designs. I found myself buying new pacifiers just for the design. This is not good for the wallet folks. This is also hard to justify with the husband.

7) Dr. Brown bottles: Once again, ditch the 10,000 cute bottles and buy a few Dr. brown bottles. I did find that these bottles really did help my babies gassiness and helped with acid reflux. They help to reduce colic and spitting up through its unique venting system that eliminates air bubbles. 

8) Baby Bjorn mesh air carrier- This baby carrier is lightweight, easy to use and great for your new bundle of joy. I especially like the mesh one because you don't sweat like a cow in heat when you wear it.

9) Kelty kids journey backpack carrier- If you like to hike, or do any amount of walking in the wilderness, outside, or even the airport; get this carrier NOW. We have used this carrier countless times with both kids. It is GREAT! Sometimes, you just don't feel like pushing a stroller, when that times comes you will be so thankful you bought this.

10)Rainforest Jumparoo: You must have a jumper! Every baby loves these when they are learning just what those little legs can do. This jumper has toys, makes sounds, and entertains my baby perfectly.

Now that I have shared my thoughts on what you must buy for that little sugar plum- here are a few honorable mention must have baby items:

• Nursing cover- This is perfect for on the go nursing to create some privacy
• floor play mat- This play mat is really only good for a month, but it really is GREAT to have!Your baby will be memorized by the toys and colors and will want to learn to roll around to grab things around him/her
• JJ Cole carseat cover- If you have an infant during the winter get this! It is very hard to bundle your baby up and not have a bulky mess once they get in their carseat. This carseat cover keeps them nice and warm without the bulk
• Pack and Play- I learned a few weekend ago that Charlotte will only sleep in a crib or pack n play. I didn't feel like bringing the pack n play with me on vaca and Charlotte slept horrible! Just buy one and travel with it, your baby will be happier. 
• Waterproof mattress pad- You may think: Why would I need one of these, my baby can't pee the bed, that's what a diaper is for. Well folks, your baby can definitely pee through the diaper and turn the crib sheets and mattress into a hot mess. 
• Bassinet- I am sorry ladies, but I am not for co sleeping with your baby. Teach your baby to be independent when sleeping. I found the crib to be so far away and big for such a tiny baby. We used a bassinet in our room for the first 3 months which both of my kids. It was great. 

Have I convinced you yet? Yes? No? What baby items do you love and can't live without?