Melificent

N I N E

This one hurts a little bit. Nine. NINE. You like to remind me that this is your last single-digit birthday, and I tell you to please stop. You very quickly shout “no!” paired with that contagious giggle of yours. 

I see you growing up, and it’s both beautiful and a little terrifying. A little painful. Things feel harder now. You don’t just need my help to tie shoes or to open a tightly wrapped toy. You need help understanding loss, mistakes, jealousy, anger. You want to know about the whole world, but are still young enough that I feel the need to shield you. You love academia – still a fantastic student and just as eager to go to school every single morning, not only to see your friends, but to LEARN. How you love to learn. In fact, you love it so much, you say you want to be a teacher when you grow up.

Your heart is so big. Your light is so bright. You are kind, endlessly full of quirky energy, and always ready to have a good time. Always the performer, your favorite place is on a stage, and you have added a cheer floor to the mix this year.  You are strong, and work hard to get better at the things you love. You are a voracious reader, especially of graphic novels. You love Taylor Swift and the Descendants, and I can find you creating your own choreography anytime I pass by your room. You love playing with makeup, Kuromi (and anything you consider “emo”), and learning new acro tricks. You started to travel the world with us, and can’t wait to continue to add stamps to your passport.

What I love the most is that you know EXACTLY who you are, and you are not ashamed of it in the least. You proudly state that you are a nerd and enjoy being every bit the individual you are at only nine years old. Some days are hard. Very, very hard. We are painstakingly honest with you about your ADHD, and I know you chose me to challenge me, and help me become better. I tell you every single day that you are my best friend and that we are a team. You may be an only child, but you are the furthest thing from alone. You have so many people that love you, and believe in you. 

Something about this year feels big, I can see you changing. With all the changes: from PJ Masks and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to Lululemon and Sephora, remember to never change your heart. Your soul. Do not change for one single soul. Not even for me. Not for one minute. 

Don’t forget: to me, you are perfect.

Happy birthday, moon. Cheers to new adventures ahead!

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E I G H T

Every year these just get more and more surreal. You are EIGHT. Someone said, “once they turn 8, that’s it. They are no longer little.” And I see it: in your face, in your interests, in the way you are trying to understand the world around you, but I don’t see it in your heart. It’s so big and innocent. It’s so kind and soft. It may be my favorite thing about you, but honestly there are so many it’s hard to pinpoint. 

You’re quirky and unique. You are hyperactive, bubbly and silly: always ready for a good time. You’re wickedly smart. You feel everything so deeply. You are a wonderful friend and are always there to support  and help them believe in themselves. You love family and tell me you are going to have a big one when you are older, and move to California (thanks for letting us move right next to you though). You’re so determined, and thus, so hard on yourself. I wish you could see what I see. 

You still love every minute of performing, whether it’s dancing or acting. You want to learn how to play the ukelele and the drums. You say you want to be a gaming YouTuber when you grow up, but you are starting to be heavily drawn to design + photography, like daddy. I love your imagination – you have such a creative mind and a free spirit. You love to travel and to experience new things (as long as they aren’t roller coasters). You live for storytelling: reading books, watching movies or making up your own. You love shopping and going to Starbucks + fro-yo. You watch football with daddy and cheer for the niners along with him. 

Baby girl, you are infinite. If you only knew the surge of love I feel every time you smile, you speak in that animated tone, you sleep perfectly holding your stuffies in bed, or when you…are just being you. I thank the universe every single day for you. That we are lucky enough to have been given you, and the gift of watching you grow. 

I love you more than anything in this world. Happy birthday, moon 🌙  I have a feeling eight is going to be great. 

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Five.

Five. Incredible. 

This birthday feels more surreal than the others have. Maybe it’s because it’s 2020 and your year as a 4 year old was cut short thanks to a pandemic. We’ve all been stuck together for 7 months mostly indoors and peppered by some sense of normalcy: a play date at a friend’s, beach days, rides on the boat, car rides to quick photo adventures. Four was hard for you. It hurt you to not see friends, to not run around on a playground, to not go on family adventures. You laughed less, and cried so much more. Mommy did the same. 

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DERMA E: Vitamin C Skincare

I can list the few things that quarantine has given me the past few months. There are really only three: therapy, exercise and a skincare regime. I am one of those people that just never really had or cared for skincare products aside from a basic moisturizer and face wash. Approaching 40 definitely made me start thinking differently, especially during a time where I spent most of my days staring at my reflection on zoom calls without a lick of makeup on.

Aside from trying to drink more water (I live off of caffeinated beverages most days), I’ve infused Vitamin C skincare products into my daily regime, and I’ve seen a huge difference in my skin. Vitamin C is one of the most powerful nutrients in the world, and its antioxidant properties are essential for our well being and overall health. It can have the same transformative effects on the appearance of our skin, often making it look brighter, smoother and younger with the signs of good health. All things that I felt like my skin was lacking.

I was recently gifted with the Vitamin C Skincare collection from DERMA E, and have been LOVING its effects on my skin. I thought I would share what my daily skincare routine looks like and the products I’ve been using for those of you that may be in the market for something similar. I, by no means, am a skincare expert, but I do know that these products have improved the look and feel of my skin drastically.

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Repairsmith

One thing I’ve really struggled with since becoming a mother is finding the time to get everything I need done. I feel like my to do list just gets longer and longer each day and trying to squeeze it all in can get very stressful and impede on what really matters, which is caring for my family and myself.

 

I commute every day (or at least I did before COVID) for work and need my car to be fully functional so that I can do my job, and also so I can pick my child up from school. Not having “a village” also makes my car even more important, since I am basically the sole individual that can “do it all.” You can feel the stress piling right? That’s why when my car breaks down, it causes all sorts of problems, from “who is going to pick up my daughter?” to “I can’t go to work today,” to ultimately, “now I have to take it in to the shop and lord knows how long it will take.” That’s where Repairsmith comes in.

 

Repairsmith is a mobile mechanic that comes to YOU rather than the other way around in a fully-equipped company van with everything they could possibly need to try and fix your vehicle. You can continue working from the comfort of your home, or have your child home with you as your car gets fixed. You don’t have to think about how long this is going to take and if you are not going to be able to complete your one million responsibilities because you are stuck at a repair shop (that may or may not have WIFI). Or worse off, have to even contemplate calling a tow truck – the mobile mechanic will come to you WHEREVER you may be so that you can get the problem fixed and be back on the road without costly and inconvenient towing needed.

 

Now during COVID, Repairsmith comes in even more clutch since most of us are working from home and can’t afford to take our car in for hours, nor do we want to be waiting in an enclosed lobby with too many people and surfaces that may be carrying germs. You will also only work with one technician (less exposure), and will also build more of a sense of trust and security with this one on one interaction.

 

I know what you are thinking already. This will probably cost a fortune due to the level of convenience, but that’s not the case! Repairsmith offers competitive pricing that’s on pair with your local shops and they do not charge convenience fees or pad the prices of their repairs. Some customers even report that they saved money using their services, which can put a smile on anyone’s face on the daily.

 

Living in the crazy rush that is modern life isn’t easy, but there are definitely ways to make it more so. Repairsmith can take the headache away from car repairs and instead make them quick, easy to schedule and effective with their OEM or OEM-equivalent parts and warranties. And who doesn’t want one less thing to worry about lately?