Beautiful

top: Gap (similar), skirt: J.Crew, shoes: Aldo (similar), bag: Kate Spade NY ,

How beautiful you think you are?

What do you think of your appearances?

If someone asked you to describe yourself to a blind person, what would be the image in his mind? 

Would it be an image of a beautiful person, so someone unattractive? 

Our perception of beauty is so distorted, thanks to Victoria Secret ads. If only we knew the amount of work it takes to make those women look like that, we would be shocked. 

On some level we do know that the magazine covers, fashion shows and billboard ads have been digitally altered to look like that but who said that computer-produced image of a woman is true beauty?

This  video is a real eye-opener to us as women. Honestly, the amount of self-destructive thinking and negative attitude that we have, it's really amazing we think anything of ourselves at all.

 Beauty really does come from the inside because if you think that you are unattractive, others will you see that way. 

We are beautiful because we are real. Real women with real bodies and real lives. 

Don't forget to love yourself and channel that inner beauty for the world to see. 

"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken." Oscar Wilde 

On Perfectionism

top: Ann Taylor, pants: thrifted, heels: BCBGirls, bow: Old Navy (belt from dress), bag: Target

I must admit: I'm a perfectionist by nature. With people-pleasing, every-person-approval-seeking tendencies. Sometimes it gets a little nuts in this head of mine. 

My desire for the 'right' way sometimes gets in the way of what's more important - things like friendships, personal relationships and love.
The most difficult part about motherhood (and life in general) is finding balance. The balance between a disciplinarian and too permissive parent, accepting friend and judgmental one.
In an effort to find that balance I'm trying to go a little easier on myself and on my child.
There will be bad days. That's just a fact of life.
Sometimes he will be fussy and I won't feel like going by schedule.
Sometimes you just have to let go and let it be.
Those are the times when you figure out that life will go on with unwashed dishes in the sink and take out dinner, so that mama can get some rest and relaxation.
As you know, when mama is happy, everybody is happy.
So go ahead and have yourself a perfect day.

Banana Bread {recipe}

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and now that the nice weather is actually making its appearance over in our area, I'm so ready to get outside and enjoy it. 

The most exciting part is that I can finally go walking in the park with my munchkin and start getting back into shape faster. I do have a treadmill but running in the garage, while staring at my husband's tools, is not fun or does it make me want to do it over and over again. 

If you notice, all my recipes haven't really been 'diet' type. I don't know why, but I have such a sweet tooth lately. I've always been more of savory kinda gal but I think breastfeeding, working out, or what have you, is making me crave sweets. Yeah, not good. 

So I'm trying to curb my cravings a little bit while not indulging in too many sweet things. One of my favorites is banana bread. Our pastor's wife has been making most delicious, moist and decadent banana bread for years and always shares with us during Christmas time. She did give me the recipe but it never came out right. I decided to give it a try one more time with a little tweak. It was pure perfection. 

Go get some bananas. Let them sit on your counter for a week and make yourself a banana bread. 

Trust me. It's gooooood.  

INGREDIENTS

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar 
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

HOW TO:

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). 

With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

***My oven tends to be on hotter side so I bake it on 325F for an hour and then leave on 300F for another 30 minutes. It seems to do the trick - comes out moist and perfectly browned. Work with your oven.

Random

top, cardigan: Loft, pants: Target, shoes: Aldo, bag: Kate Spade NY

Couple random things that have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

- For one, spring in New York is a bazaar event. We technically don't have the ideal warm spring days slowly warming up to summer. We jump from snowing one day into 70-degree weather the next, so it's funny watching people's choice of clothes. Walking in the park earlier this week I saw everything from warm winter boots to tank tops and it wasn't even that warm. First glimpse of sunshine and people are ready to go tanning on their porch. We are desperate. 

- Pinterest is my new addiction now. Trying to decide how to decorate a bare wall in my living room, I cannot stop searching for different ways to use that space. I'm afraid, I will never decide on either use all black frames for personal family pictures or just buy a giant wall art. Help.

- I used to think that ladies who stay at home with an infant have ton of time on their hands. Now that I'm doing that and I don't seem to have any time for leisure, I get upset when people assume I'm lounging all day. It takes a lot of work to care for such a little person.

- I want to learn to sew well enough to make my own clothes, or at least learn how to alter them.

- Having a budget is tough. Having a budget that you share with everyone on internet is just plain harsh. I'm biting my lips but sticking to it.

//Jonathan// Two Months

Dear boy,

you are eight weeks old now and I don't know whether to count every four weeks from the day you were born or just the 13th of every month, I mean it's just a technicality.

You are growing oh so fast and changing almost every day. 

You started smiling and love to 'talk' to us. Whenever I start baby talk you focus your eyes on my face and try so hard to imitate what I'm doing with my mouth.

I love that toothless grin.

You have the most adorable babble talk, especially when I hear your daddy talking to you, as he's changing your diaper. For one, daddy takes his sweet time with you and really gets into it. It's so sweet.

You finally discovered the sheep mobile over your crib and love staring at it but I'm not sure it works to make you sleepy. 

You are nursing every two-three hours during the day which sometimes seems like you are always feeding (but that's only good for mommy's getting-back-into-shape ordeal. thanks buddy). On the other hand you sleep about five-six hours a night. So I'll take it.

I'm still trying to figure out which foods make you colicky and so far eggs and almost all greens are to be limited in my intake. 

We went out to eat once after church and you were such a good boy. An older couple sitting at an adjacent table was mesmerized by your cuteness. And who could blame them?

Then we went out with entire familia and you weren't thrilled, plus mommy forgot your paci. Sorry bud. I guess you don't like Greek food.

Also, we blessed you in church with pastor praying for you. It was a dear moment for us as parents.

I think in the last eight weeks we sort of got you used to being held a lot. You do not like to lay for long time and after about twenty minutes demand to be picked up.

That's going to have to change with some gentle discipline.

You do like to sit in a swing though which is, of course, a life saver.

You are one cute kid and we absolutely adore you.

I just wish you didn't have to grow up so quick.