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Easy Peasy Morning Routine

January 12, 2018 By Amberly Caccamo

Everyone in my house has an easy peasy morning routine. If Hot Hubs didn’t get up and start boiling water for coffee as part of his routine, I would never get out of bed. Because, coffee. If the kids didn’t have a routine (complete with a checklist… post to follow) they would never get to school. Notice I didn’t see never get to school on time. I mean, they would NEVER get to school. I have worked out a very basic morning routine for success, please feel free to snag mine if you don’t have your set up.

My Easy Peasy Morning Routine

Have you read The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins? If you haven’t, please call your local bookshop and get a copy! Stat! I am reading it right now. It’s not the first book I’ve read about the importance of a morning routine (hello, FlyLady!) but it is the first to give me an actual tool to my ass out of bed. Which, if you haven’t guessed, is the first step to any morning routine. Now, since I’m a bit of a newbie to this routine business (okay, okay, newbie AGAIN!) I am starting small. If you don’t have a routine in place, please feel free to steal my easy peasy morning routine and adapt it to your life.

5,4,3,2,1 myself out of bed
Coffee. All the coffee.
Avoid facebook like the plague. Step away from the phone, lady.
Sit and plan my day. For me this means getting my sales goals to my peeps, looking over what needs to be done both at work and at home.
As my dad used to say, Shit, Shower & Shave. Side note: I’ve been slacking on the shave dept. Sorry, Hot Hubs!
Get dressed and do something to my face. This is usually something like moisturizer and mascara. Sometimes I get fancy and really do it up. It seems like this is crucial for a feel-good day.
Rouse kids and get them started on their routines.
Feed the masses. Since time is short, this is always something simple. Like toast and PB, or yogurt and fruit. Hey, I ain’t runnin’ for mother of the year.
Make lunches. Becuase I have three lunches to make, all three get the same dang thing.
Use the Tile app to find my keys because I haven’t mastered my evening routine yet.
Pack my work bag & go!

Do you have a morning routine that works for you? Have you written it out? Will you share it with us? Drop us your favorite routine tips over on our facebook page

Word of the Year – Sticktoitiveness

December 31, 2017 By Amberly Caccamo

Picking a word of the year seems to be all the rage, right? Well, I’m certainly going to jump on that bandwagon! Basically, you choose a meaningful word, you write that shit everywhere, and you live by it for a whole year. You in? Good! This year my word is sticktoitiveness.

What Sticktoitiveness Means To Me

I love to say the word. Go ahead, say it out loud. Stick-to-it-tive-ness. Fun, yeah? I don’t know if you’ve seen the Madagascar movies 14 thousand times, but some of us have. It’s a quote made by Alex the Lion, they are going to fix the plane with “spit, and grit and sticktoitiveness.” This quote is stuck in my psyche. I love it! So I thought I’d be cute and pick an animated themed word of the year. Aren’t I the just the cutest?? Turns out though, according to dictionary.com the word has been around since 1909.

Sticktoitiveness also makes me squirm, which is a most excellent trait when you are working with your word of the year. It makes me just a little uncomfortable, thinking about seeing things all the way through. It’s so not me. It’s so boring. The idea of starting something and actually finishing it. I’m the queen of starting one thing, thinking of something else, setting it down and moving on. I’m the queen of fantastic plans, like writing out this fantastic home care system, giving it full steam for a second and dropping it like it’s hot. Can you relate to that?

What Sticktoitiveness Means to Work Life

I feel like I am constantly in rescue mode. This is true in work life, and in home life. I am just trying to stay afloat amidst the crazy. The word of the year is intended to help me stay focused on what is in front of me. To see it all the way through. To start a project, like sitting down to order all the fabulous fall sweaters for next year, and actually ordering them. And inputting the orders. And so on.

What Sticktoitiveness Means to Life At Large

I can apply the word of the year to all aspects of my life. From cleaning the kitchen after dinner to helping my kids get accustomed to a wonderful morning routine. From starting the laundry to folding the laundry…fine and to putting it away.

Did you choose a word of the year? It’s never too late! I didn’t choose my 2017 word until December 1st or so. Come on over to facebook and share your word with me and my crew!

When mom has the common cold part 2

October 29, 2017 By Amberly Caccamo

If you’re lucky enough to come down with your cold on the weekend or a day off, sleep. I know, I know, sometimes this is impossible for busy moms. I hear you. My last cold started on a Saturday night. I took a hot detox bath and drank my magic elixir, which you can read about HERE. Sunday was full of baths and Netflix. No joke, I was pretty much cured on Monday morning.

Steam for the common cold

So besides rest, how can you get though your day? Follow these tips!

Start your morning with a hot, steamy shower. If you have some tea tree or eucalyptus essential oil, toss that on the shower floor. *Please make sure it’s not where you step, it could make it slippery and we don’t need a bonked noggin in addition to a head cold* The shower loosens up all the crud (technical term) in your head and lungs that the common cols blesses us with, and gets things moving around so you can breathe. Breathing is one of those things that is NOT overrated.

Morning Nosh

Next serve yourself a nice cuppa hot lemon water with honey. Honey and lemon are magical when you have a cold. If you are a coffee drinker, like me, now is the time to have a cup. Some people say to stay away from it when you’re sick. If I stay away from it those nearest and dearest to me will want to kill me.

Eat something delish for breakfast. Like Grandma used to say, you are going to need your strength to fight the bug! Plus your next move is large amounts of vitamin C. I took vitamin C once on an empty stomach. I didn’t know how sick it would make me feel. Learn from my mistake.

Supplements for the common cold

Take a boatload of vitamin C. I aim for 1,000 mg after breakfast, 1,000 at lunch, 1,000 at dinner. I’ve read research that supports the vitamin C theory healing a cold faster and I’ve read research that says it’s total bologna. I don’t really care if it scientifically works or not because I swear makes me feel better faster. If it’s the sugar-pill effect or if it’s boosting my immune system…it works and that’s all I care about.

Drink your water! And your tea! Eat your soup! Fluids help your beautiful body to flush out toxins. Bye-bye bugs!

If you really need it, please don’t hesitate to try some ibuprofen, or even a cold med. Just be sure to pay attention how dosing and mixing. You could hurt yourself!

Try heading out for work but promise me that you will get home as soon as you can, order take out and get yourself to sleep. You need it.

How to wear a draped slimming top

October 29, 2017 By Amberly Caccamo

Slimming Top by Last Tango

Hello there! Ok, so I have to take a minute to talk about this slimming top by Last Tango. I can wear it during the day with jeans and it looks great. I am able to take it all fancy-like into the evening with a sweet pair of chandelier earrings, sparkly of course, and a great black legging.

Features of the Slimming Top

First of all, the color! Can I get a heck yeah for this gorgeous jewel tone teal? Droooool. I love it. Next, the fabric is has a fantastic weight to it, with just enough stretch to feel awesome. Under the draping is a form fitting long sleeve top with ruched sides. This top holds in my mom tum, and it feels secure. If you have a mom tum you know what I mean. Then the drape. The drape hangs perfectly so that it covers the aforementioned mom tum. I’ve been in waaaaayyyy too many shirts that don’t do this for me. Raise your hand if you’ve had a mom-tum covering shirt make you look pregnant. *Raises hand*

Do you need this shirt in your life? Yeah, you do. So Contact Me and I’ll save you one, cause that what besties do!

Carhartt Women’s Rain Jacket Review

October 29, 2017 By Amberly Caccamo

Description of Carhartt Women’s Shoreline Rain Jacket

The good:

Truly waterproof. This jacket sheds water wonderfully and the waterproof taped seams keeps you dry for hours.
It’s lightweight. Not too heavy, and I can easily toss a hoodie or something on under it.
My seriously favorite part is the storm cuff with thumbholes–but hey, I’m easily impressed!
The hood is detachable, which is bonus for me until I lose it.

My Personal Experience

Carhartt Women’s Shoreline Rain Jacket has been awesome. I often find Carhartt garments to run pretty big, and I don’t think this one does. I do like to wear a hoodie underneath it, so I sized up. Have I mentioned that I live in a house with wood heat? It’s a total pain, dragging in wood every day, but the heat from wood is the coziest. Anyhow, I wore my Cahartt Shoreline rain jacket out to the woodshed to my gathering, and my top half stayed dry as my aging skin (really, really dry.) My jeans, however, did not fare so well. Guess my next purchase will be the rainpant! I am also questioning why oh why we chose the shed at the bottom of the property to store our wood…

You guys! This print is so dang cute. I feel like a million bucks when I wear this jacket. It’s adorable AND rugged, don’t you think? Just like me! I kid, I kid. I’m adorable, but not so rugged. Anywho, I look forward to using this thing all winter long.

And hey guys…this jacket makes a fantastic gift you the lady in your life!

Do you need this jacket in your life? Contact Me! I am happy to ship one to you.

Also, check out our boutique’s facebook page

Pregnant with Cancer Part 1

October 28, 2017 By Amberly Caccamo

The Call – Pregnant with Cancer

“It looks like it’s some type of lymphoma,” the surgeon says on the phone on a Thursday at 5:00 PM. Cancer. Pregnant with cancer.

Um, say what now? So many thoughts flash through my mind as she handed me over the oncologist’s reception desk to schedule my appointment with him on MONDAY. Four freaking days away, which feels like forever. Those would turn our to be the worst four days of my life. I call my husband first, sobbing. “It’s cancer,” I say. He doesn’t believe me. It’s actually quite unbelievable. The news is numbing. It feels surreal. I am so sickeningly frightened I can’t even deal with it. I would soon hear the term Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma for the first time.

Did I mention that I have a 4 and 6 year old? Oh, and I’m nearly 4 months pregnant. Pregnant with cancer. This is my crisis. We all have them. They come in different forms. Life changing circumstances. Mine comes in the form of cancer. Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma cancer.

The weekend is so dang long. Monday afternoon seems eons away. Hot Hubs and I go for a walk on the beach. We cry. He says things like, “I can remember my mom at five year old,” in order to make me realize that should I die my boys won’t forget me. We google. Please, if you are going to a cancer diagnosis but are still unclear on the details, stay away from Dr. Google. Google says breast lymphoma patients have a poor 5 year prognosis. I am certain I am going to die. I just hope I live long enough to have this baby.

The Diagnosis Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Monday arrives. Finally! I feel dread and hope as I sit in the waiting room with my mom and Hot Hubs. We all go in and the oncologist, MY oncologist because now I have an oncologist, tells me that the preliminary report from my biopsy states that I have Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. He quickly goes on to say that it has a high cure rate, especially among the young, which feels well, nice. I felt some hope, though I was also quick to think that some people aren’t cured. Some people don’t get better.

I will need to get some imaging done, and will need a bone marrow biopsy. The doctor uses a hand drill and drills into your hip bone from the back side. Sometimes they will sedate you for this procedure, but not if you’re pregnant. Doesn’t that just sound like a super fun day in the park? Oh, and guess what? When you’re pregnant they don’t recommend being shot with radiation, therefore traditional (and quick) CT and PET scans are a no-no. When you’re pregnant you get a full body MRI. That takes approximately one single lifetime. But…it yields a really cool shot of the baby, as you can see.

My oncologist is amazing, like super smart but still nice amazing. He is a small town doc, and he really knows his stuff. He calls at 7:00 in the evening to say that he’s gone over the report with the radiologist and that the cancer has not spread. Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. Stage 1AE. Stage 1 meaning it’s only in one quadrant of my body, A meaning I had no symptoms, and E meaning it is extranodal, or not in my lymph nodes.

Are you do you know someone who is pregnant with cancer?

Please Contact Me You do not have to go it alone.

When Mom has the Common Cold Part 1

October 15, 2017 By Amberly Caccamo

I always think of that commercial, is it DayQuil? The one where the dad walks into the baby’s room and asks for a sick day. There is no such thing as a sick day when you are a momprenuer or working mom. Kids still need breakfast, lunch and dinner. Not to mention the zillions of snacks.

When symptoms first show up, you know the moment when you ask yourself are my allergies bad or is it a cold? It’s probably a cold, so I suggest hitting the vitamin C hardcore. Do your stomach a favor and don’t hit the vit C on an empty stomach. Been there, done that, puked.

Common Cold Evening Treatment

First of all, you are going to need to sleep. Sometimes, as a mom the idea of getting enough sleep is a not-so-funny joke. Please, please do what you can to catch some serious zzzz’s. I understand if you have to get up to feed a baby, but you don’t need to stay up to check facebook one more time. It will be there in the morning, I promise! So get your cute little booty to bed nice and early. Before bed, I do 2 things:

Detox Bath

Getting toxins, like gross viral germs and such, out of your body faster can help you heal from the common cold quickly. Here’s my favorite:

Draw a bath. Make it pretty hot and pretty deep. Your goal is to sweat it all out, sister!
Add about a cup of epsom salt
Put in about 3 TBS of ginger
Add your favorite essential oils (lavender & rose are my faves)
Soak yourself for at least 20 mins, but go as long as you feel fine.
Get out and pat dry. You are going to be tired and sweaty. That’s good stuff.

Magic Elixir for the Common Cold

Lemon & honey is a seriously delicious and powerful combo when you’ve got the sniffles. Sometimes I sip this while I’m in the bath, or immediately after. Here’s how:

Boil some water
Juice 1/2 lemon into your cup
Add 1 TBS of honey
Pour boiling water over the honey/lemon.
Sip and enjoy!
Extra step for common cold induced insomnia: I will sometimes add a half shot of brandy to my magic elixir. It helps me sleep through the night, and I’m pretty sure it’s better than all that chemical junk in over the counter nighttime cold medicines.

Do you have a favorite detox bath recipe? Come over to facebook and tell me all about it!

Click here for daytime tips

Family Bug Out Bag Supplies

October 14, 2017 By Amberly Caccamo

Family bug out bag supply list The fires in Northern California have been absolutely horrific. Working in my menswear shop this week has been eye opening. We have had A LOT of evacuees come to Fort Bragg to escape fire threat. Not to mention the many folks I’ve met who have lost everything. Everything. Naturally this makes me think about my own family’s safety in an emergency. Are we prepared? We weren’t last week. So the hubs and I are spending some time gathering things we think we would need in case of a car evacuation, thus begins our bug out bag supply list. For our family we have decided on the following:

Family Bug Out Items

We put the following in totes, clearly labeled:
3 gallons of water per person
25 pound bag of rice
25 pound bag of beans
Canned Food
Granola Bars
Camp Kitchen Supplies
Tent
Tarp
Blanket
Pillows
Cash — ATM’s were down during the fires around here
Copies of Birth Certificates & Insurance Cards
Lighting– crank and battery operated
Sterilization agent
First Aid Kit including OTC medications for adults and kids
Duct Tape
Knife
Radio
Compass
Plastic garbage bags

Toddler Bug Out Bag Supplies

Sterile bottle & Formula if needed
Diapers
Wipes
Extra Clothing
Jacket
Blanket
Pacifier
Backpack or Wrap the child can fit in
A comfort item
A toy
toothbrush
Hat

School Age Bug Out Supplies

Extra Clothing–don’t forget socks and underwear!
Jacket
Favorite Toy
Favorite Snack
Clear Backpack
Flashlight
Toothbrush
Hat

Adult Personal Bug Out Bag Supplies

Extra Clothing
Jacket
Hat
Toothbrush
Tampons
Playing cards

Obviously, we hope and pray that we will never need these bug out bag supplies, but we are feeling much better knowing that they will be there if we gotta run! As time goes on, there is no doubt that this bug out bag will evolve. Do you have some ideas that I missed? Contact Me!

5 Time Saving Tips for Soccer Season

October 14, 2017 By Amberly Caccamo

Soccer Season Dinnertime Blues

My boys are in the middle of their soccer season, and boy is it exhausting! Last year our two bigs were on the same team. That was a huge time saver. Soccer brings us to two different teams this year, Under 8’s and Under 10’s.
Weeknights are a crazy hustle. Oh, and have I mentioned the crying toddler hanging on my legs—‘cause that’s super fun! So here are my 5 time saving tips for easier evenings.

5 Time Saving Tips

Crock Pot Love

You’ve heard it 75,000 times….make friends with your crock pot. Or better yet, ditch the crock pot and get yourself an Instant Pot. I can hear you. You don’t think you need a trendy new piece of equipment in your kitchen, but trust me you won’t be sorry. The freezer and the IP have become my very BEST friends this season. Therefore I suggest you research it, and think about adding one to your kitchen if you haven’t already.

Set your table in the A.M.

Set your dinner table after breakfast. I can’t remember where I first heard this one, but OMG it really saves time. Plus…added bonus: it keeps the hubs from using the table as his desk. Sorry hubs!

Leftovers, Anyone?

Leftovers! It’s so simple and obvious, but so often overlooked. Double Sunday night’s dinner throw it in the freezer or the fridge. Re-heat in your Instant Pot or your microwave on your busiest nights. This works great with pasta dishes, casseroles, soups and stews.

BFD

BFD. Uh, that’s Breakfast for dinner. My kids love it! Few home cooked meals are as fast as cooking up some nitrate-free bacon and scrambling some eggs. Slice up from fruit and you’ve got a well-rounded meal. Oh, and go ahead and cook your eggs in a little bacon grease because YUM!

Meals on the go

So if you’ve decided that 4:00 PM is too early for dinner because you aren’t 80, but 8:00 PM is too late because you aren’t in Italy it’s time to whip up a homemade meal to-go. I’m talking super simple, but nutrient dense meals in a lunch box. Eating at the field is definitely time saving. Some of my family’s favorites are:

Snack boxes filled with nitrate-free salami, some whole grain crackers, slices of cheese, & apples
Tortillas filled with turkey, lettuce, tomato, cheese and mayo. Call it a wrap and feel fancy!
Chicken salad sandwiches. Throw in my super-secret ingredient, grapes and it’s a well rounded meal between 2 slices of bread.

Sometimes you gotta just drive thru on your way home. When I have no choice, well wait. I guess I have a choice, but it doesn’t feel like it, ya know? Let me re-phrase. When you choose the drive thru option, bring it home sit around the table as a family and enjoy your meal together. Just try not to make a habit out of the drive thru because we all know that sh—ain’t good for you!

Want more tips? Follow me on facebook

Self Care Tip: How to Correct Mom Posture

October 13, 2017 By Amberly Caccamo

What’s the Posture Problem?

Do you ever have a hard time coming up with the right word for your Google search? Apparently I’m not dealing with a curved spine. It’s more of a neck curving too far. C’mon, google. Help me, help you, help me. What am I looking for? Aha! Hunched shoulders, a forward curve in my upper back. I google hunched shoulders and there it is. Blinking on my screen: Correct Mom Posture. One of the many hardships we mamas put on our bodies. Maybe you don’t like the way it looks, or maybe you’re starting to feel back pain. Either way, we have hope! Here’s how to correct mom posture.

Causes of Rounded Shoulders

According to www.medicalnewstoday.com rounded shoulders has the following causes:
Using a smart phone or tablet — well who doesn’t? Check.
Using a computer or laptop — checkity check check.
Sitting for long periods of time — like when you’re using a smartphone or laptop, perhaps?
Driving a vehicle– to work, to soccer, to school, to music, back to work, to home. Like that.
Bending over repeatedly– picking up toys for approximately the 45698258 time in one day.
Carrying heavy objects all day — example. Screaming, kicking toddler. Check check check.

Methods to Correct Mom Posture

Since rounded mom posture is a symptom of bending your shoulders forward, it makes sense that the remedy is stretching in the opposite direction. Also, strengthening the upper back. I’ve read all the “make time for exercise” and “set an appointment with yourself and keep it” which all makes sense on paper. The reality of it is that I feel too busy! I don’t have time. I can’t dooooo it. Wah. So I contacted my beautiful friend, Justine Lemos and asked for advice to correct mom posture. Justine owns and operates her own yoga studio, so of course I absolutely love following her momprenuer life. You can catch her on her facebook page.

She says that a great shoulder opener is downward dog at the wall. It’s easy, and even I can do it. While I’m watching netflix. And sneaking a piece of my kid’s candy. No? Just me? Standing facing the wall put your palms flat against the wall and bend your body forward into an L shape with the feet under the hips. Are you doing it? Do it! It feels so great on the shoulders and neck.

Fish Pose is a super chest opener and great for spinal flexibility, according to Justine. This one is a little more difficult for me: lying on your back place your hands under your hips, palms down. Lift your upper body, and lie back down with the TOP of your head resting lightly on the floor. Most of the weight of your upper body should be resting on your elbows.

I’m going to work on fish pose, but until I master it…and mark my words, I will! I’m going also use a rolled up towel along my spine and kinda hang over it.

Simple dumbbell rows with strengthen the upper back, helping bring back balance, too.
Who’s with me? I’m stretching for the next 30 days to see if there is an improvement. Before and after shots in November! Stay tuned…
Do you have any posture tips? Contact Me
Wanna follow my progress? Come and like my facebook page.

correct mom posture rounded shoulders