2013 Family Photos

Much to Andres's chagrin, I have decided to make yearly family photos a "thing."  You can imagine what this does to the man who needed reminders to smile during pictures at our wedding.  Not to mention what it did to me when I read that when planning outfits every color should appear at least twice.  I wish I'd never read that.  After tearing apart our closets I discovered that none of the three Frowow's wear common colors.  So, I had to go to Kohl's to buy an orange infinity scarf.  I had to.  In the end, I decided on this:

 See how all the colors show up at least twice?  Nice job, Heather, you say.  Thanks! :)  However, in typical Andres fashion he did not want to wear the blue gingham shirt.  He wanted to wear an orange shirt.  That may not sound like a big deal, but it was.  See, if the blue shirt vanished, where would that leave Max's blue puffer vest?  ALL ALONE, THAT'S WHERE!  The fun, peaceful afternoon I had envisioned collapsed around me as Andres put on an orange shirt and then insisted that Max not wear the puffer vest because it was the same outfit he had worn to the pumpkin patch.  Eventually, we settled on having Max wear an orange checkered shirt (which I LOVE) but our color scheme went from orange and blue to just orange, which I wasn't thrilled about.  Yet, as with all drama, in the end it didn't even matter because look at these amazing photos:

 How adorable are we in all our orange?  And how amazingly attractive is this guy:

 Ahhh!  I can't even take it!  Our photos were taken by the amazing Bart Copeland.  You should get your family photos taken by Bart Copeland too.  Max was running all over the place during the entire shoot and I was positive that we did not get a single good photo.  Every single photo is freaking amazing.  I have no idea how that happened.  Bart is great!  And not only is he an amazing photographer, he's also a 4th grade teacher and  just so happens to be the person who was my long term sub when I was on maternity leave.

So, here is the awkward conclusion of this blog post:  Bart Copeland Photography <~~click it.

Favorite Things Party

Last Thursday my friend Heather hosted a favorite things party.  For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, you buy 5 of one of your favorite things.  They are usually all the same item, but they don't have to be.  Most hosts typically set a price limit.  Ours was $5-7, which I felt was perfect.  Once you arrive at the party, you take 5 pieces of paper, write your name on each of them, and place them in a hat.  Then, everyone draws five names (making sure that there are no doubles and that you don't draw your own name) and then you receive the favorite things of those people.  Understand?  

It was so much fun!  Why?  Because...

First of all, Heather just bought the cutest townhouse I have ever seen.  I rode with my friend Melissa and as soon as we pulled into her neighborhood and saw all the colorful houses, I said, "I hope Heather has a red one!"  She had a red one!  And not only did she have a red house, her upstairs loft has a cupboard under the stairs.  Which is where I will be sleeping should I ever spend the night at her house, which could happen, because....

Second of all, Heather made delicious signature drink with bourbon.  
That's not juice.--Stephanie, with a tone of warning
I know.--Heather Frowow, pouring herself a generous third cup

Third of all, there was a potato salad with bacon on top.  Plus also, my friend Laura made amazing egg rolls.  I think I was a little too verbally enthusiastic about the food at the party and may have embarrassed myself, oink oink.  BUT, my breakfasts, lunches, and most dinners end up looking like this:

And I end up throwing a few crackers in my mouth while I clean the mess and call it nutrition. So, the fact that there was food and I would actually get to eat it was super exciting.

Fourth of all, it was fun because of the actual favorite things.  It was so much fun to see what other people liked and who doesn't like receiving presents?  My friend Crista was the perfect "Oprah" for the event:

You get a book, and you get a book, and YOU get a book!  Plus also, Crista's favorite thing was actually a book!  I drew her name, so I got to go home with a copy of Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.  People, I started it yesterday and am already on page 167.  It is so good.  Read it.  I also got a Dunkin Donuts gift card from Laura, Twizzlers and lotion from Heather, lip gloss from Christine, and a necklace from Melissa.  The necklace is from a super cute, affordable online boutique called Urban Peach.  How did I not know about it until now, I have no clue.

Fifth of all, of course the whole reason to have a favorite things party is to be with friends!  

Bachelor Contestants Announced!

Did you see it, did you see it?  My friend, Sarah, messaged me yesterday with the link to the Bachelor contestants and their bios.  Go here to see the primary source.  For my personal opinion and predictions, continue reading...

1.  Alexis
I like her.  I like that she wants to spread the love of Jesus and the message of the Catholic church.  I hope she doesn't embarrass it, but she probably will because don't we all?

2.  Amy J
She is a massage therapist.  I am predicting a super awkward touchy-feely first conversation at the initial cocktail party.

I hope I'm wrong.  Please no.

3.   Ashley

She lists her favorite author as Dr. Seuss.  (Along with others).  To me, this is code for "I don't really read" so she gets minus 5 points.  However, she goes on to mention pumpkin spice lattes which gives her plus 5 points.  So what I'm saying is my rating for Ashley is zero.

4.   Chelsie, Christine, and Christy

This trio, who I will call "Chelstinesty", are all the same person.  They are simply disguised and photoshopped in different ways.  So whoever is playing Chelstinesty has a numeric advantage and thus a pretty decent shot at Juan Pablo.

5.   Clare

I was initially attracted to the way she spells her name.  However, her answers are grammatically sloppy in a way this here blog never is.  Por ejemplo, when Clare is asked about the best trip she's ever been on, she replies: 
I have never taken a vacation. I've always worked my buns off and never made time.  Plus, I was never in a relationship that I could go on a vacation with.

Hi, I'm Clare, and this is my boyfriend, Relationship.  We are going on a vacation together.  Where would you like to go, Relationship?

6.  Kelly

Kelly lists her occupation as "dog lover."  I'm confused.  That's all.

7.  Nikki

"Is drunk a type of dancing?" asks Nikki, earnestly. 

The defense rests.

That's really all I have.  The rest of the bios were pretty standard and I'm super curious about who is going to be the Tierra of the season.  No one really stands out quite yet.  I can't wait for the season to start and to read all the recaps and tweets.  The best tweeter (twitter-er?) is Jennifer Weiner and the best recaps, in my opinion, are from  this blog.  She is the friend of Shay Shull.  Shay Shull, for those of you not Bachelor obsessed, is Sean Lowe's sister.  So I consider her recaps super legit and hilarious.  Just a few weeks more until:

Swoon.

My Top Five Oils!

Linking up for Five Favorites!  <~~~~click it!

On November 27 it arrived--my Young Living Starter Kit!  I was so excited that I opened it right away and began researching the various uses of the oils and taking notes on each one. Obviously, I am by no means an expert or even all that knowledgeable...I've only been using the oils less than a week!  But I can already say that I love them and they are one of my favorite things.  Here is what I'm loving:

1.  You know when you feel a cold coming on and it sucks because you know it's coming, but aside from eating well, rest, and vitamins there is nothing to do but pray it passes over you quickly?  I love having Essential Oils to use as another form of arsenal.  
2.  It makes our house smell and feel more homey.  
3.  (Warning:  this one is silly, but true).  Using them makes me feel like Hermione Granger.  I'm serious.  They are so fun.  It feels like something out of the wizarding world, like a rare potion.  I don't go around applying them to my family while speaking with a British accent and pretending I'm wearing a Gryffindor robe and wielding a wand, but it sort of feels like that and it's fun.

But, moving on from my weird imaginings, here are my five favorite oils and the results I've seen with them.  Super big disclaimer:  I've only been using the oils for 1 week and I'm not NAWT, NAWT a doctor, or an herbalist, or an aromatherapist, or a nurse, or a doula, or a midwife, or a receptionist at a medical facility.  I'm just a mom with a blog.  So, don't go taking this as Bible truth, super duper medical advice.  K?  k.

ONE

My first favorite is the Thieves blend.  Thieves is a blend of rosemary, eucalyptus, clove, cinnamon, and lemon oils.  The blend comes from a legend of four French thieves who covered themselves in the aromatics listed above prior to robbing plague victims.  Thieves provides immune protection and eliminates bacteria.  I mix 1 or 2 drops with a small amount of coconut oil to the bottoms of our feet at bedtime.  I also diffuse it in the house on occasion to purify the air.  It's hard to prove a negative--Max and I had no symptoms to start with, so I can't say it's "cured" something for us, but Andres was beginning to get a cold.  When the oils arrived, I immediately started applying Thieves to his feet and within a day or two he felt fine.  Bonus: Thieves smells AMAZING!

TWO

Lavender comes in at second place.  I've probably used lavender the most. Lavender oil is an antiseptic and can be used to disinfect scrapes, cuts, and bites.  It also aids in sleep.  I have tried using this on very dry, chapped skin around Max's mouth.  However, this is one area where I haven't seen the results I hoped.  Max gets really bad chapped skin around his mouth every winter and as soon as it starts to heal, it gets further irritated by liquids (his drinks and his drool) or by food.  It's a vicious cycle.  I would say that the lavender works when coupled with LOTS of coconut oil, but the lavender hasn't "healed" his skin...it still gets red and raw as soon as he eats or drinks.  Sigh.  BUT, here is a success story:  I switched to Toms of Maine deodorant about a week ago and developed an allergic reaction to something in the product.  It was gross.  I couldn't even apply a different deodorant because it needed to heal.  I used coconut oil and lavender and it healed in about 4 days, when combined with this:

THREE

Young Living's Purification blend.  Purification neutralizes odors, repels insects, and helps heal dry skin.  Did you get that first use?  Neutralizes odors.  See where I'm going?  Because of the rash I didn't wear deodorant for almost a week.  Y'all.  It could have been a nasty, disgusting, stinky time in my life, but it wasn't.  I mixed about 1 drop of lavender and 2 drops of purification in coconut oil in lieu of deodorant and was fine all day--my rash began to heal and the stink factor was not even close to what it could have been.  Would I use this combination instead of deodorant every day?  No.  Was there a slight stink factor by the time 5:00 came around?  Yes.  But it could have and would have been  BAD, ya'll.  I also use some purification on Max's mouth and it seems to help reduce the redness even faster, when combined with lavender.

FOUR

Peppermint oil can be used for headaches, sore muscles, to boost your mood, and it aids in digestion.  It can also help improve respiratory function and can help fevers.  I've only used peppermint oil once to help with a headache and it worked like a charm!  I applied 1 drop combined with coconut oil to the base of my neck, forehead, and temples.  It feels very cooling and has a strong "icy hot" sensation when applied.

FIVE

Lemon oil promotes a healthy immune system, it uplifts and energizes the body and mind, and can be rubbed on the throat and glands for a cough and sore throat.  While we were out of town for Thanksgiving I began to get a scratchy throat.  My mom had been coughing and was getting over a cold and I didn't want to head in the same direction.  After just 2 days of applying lemon oil to my throat, the scratchiness was gone and has not returned.

There you have it!  My 5 favorite oils (thus far!) and how we've used them.  I signed up as a distributor of Young Living Oils in order to receive their starter kit.  It is far and away the best deal out there and you are under no obligation to the company and do not receive any emails from them, etc.  You just get good deals!  
Please do not read what I am going to say as a sales pitch or gimmick:  I want you to get the best deal too, so consider signing up as a distributor. You get a kit of 10 oils, plus the diffuser, and some sample oils for $150.  The diffuser alone is $98 retail price.  We use our diffuser every day!  
SO, my point is:  if signing up as a distributor is something you want to do, email me at teamfrowow {at} gmail dot com.  I can send you a link to sign up and that way we'll both be winners!

To review:
Essential Oils = Hermione Granger + Yummy Smells + Stay healthy + You can sorta not wear deodorant if that's your thang + Bye bye headaches = AWESOME!

Happy Halloween!

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, and we've entered the season of Advent, let's talk Halloween.  K?  Well, for starters, in our old neighborhood I was one of the few people who decorated their front steps with fall decor.  Pretty little pumpkins and a pot of mums that lasted 4 days before I killed it.  Enter the new neighborhood:

Frankensteins.  Spiders.  Giant inflatables.  A dead freaking body.  Are you kidding me? Team Frowow's decor sucked big and I even sprang for the white pumpkin this year. Whatever. Your house may be better, but our kid is cuter:

Oh my heart!  Isn't that the cutest little crocodile you ever did see?  Max was so happy and excited for Halloween.  Our neighborhood put on a little parade for the kids and then it was time for trick or treating.  Once Max realized all you have to do is ring a doorbell and someone puts candy in your bag, he was all over it!  He signed "more" after each house and refused to let go of his treat bag all night.

We stayed out for a little over an hour and then came home to look over the stash.

Max enjoyed his first kit-kat bar, however in our official analysis, Mama and Papi Frowow don't believe we Max got enough candy to sustain our his sweet tooth.  Next year our goal is to pick up the pace and visit more houses.  ;)  
It was a great Halloween and Max was at such a fun age this year at 21 months.  I'm excited for future years, as I'm sure it will just get more and more fun!

Christmas Presents!

I am so excited that I just had to jump on here and tell the internet world that I finished Christmas shopping for Max!  Andres isn't picking up his phone at work, and I'm so excited about Max's gift that I just have to tell somebody!  So, I'm going to tell you.  This year, Max will receive season tickets to the NC Kids Symphony from Andres and I.  Good friends gifted us with 2 tickets earlier in the fall and Max loved it.  He was wide-eyed and at attention the entire time. There are 2 shows left in the Kids Series this season and I nabbed 3 tickets to both of them.  They are surprisingly affordable and I'm so happy to give our family an experience instead of stuff.

In thinking about Christmas and gifts, I made the decision last year to start our traditions of giving right from Max's first Christmas.  We have asked Santa Claus to bring Max only three gifts:
1.  Something to read
2.  Something to wear
3.  Something to play with
This really keeps things simple for Santa and his elves and allows us Frowow's to spend the season focusing on gratefulness for what we already have and the true meaning of Christmas. The three categories also reflect the 3 gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrhh that the wise men gave to Jesus.  

Andres and I will also give him one gift from us, focused on a fun, family experience we can share.  This year it's the NC Kids Symphony!  I am so excited! 

Why I Chose Young Living Essential Oils

I go back and forth between crunchy and gimme those chemicals real good.  For example, I cloth diaper Max but use Huggies wipes.  I sometimes use Shaklee but every now and then my bathroom gets a good soak in clorox.  And I ALWAYS use clorox wipes or some brand thereof. When it comes to medical care, I am pro-doctor, pro-hospital, pro-drugs, the whole nine yards. On the other hand, I had weekly acupuncture appointments for well over a year. I am 32 years old (gasp!) and can only think of 3 times in my entire life when I have been unhappy with a doctor.  And only one of those times was specifically related to my medical care, the other two were more personality/bedside manner related.
Anyways, lately essential oils (EOs) have been popping up in the mom blog world and on a local mom's group I'm a member of on facebook.  I decided to research google them, because what else am I going to do during naptime?  Clean?  Cook?  No and no-er.  I also posted my questions on the mom's group for feedback.  Out of the handful of mom blogs I read and the responses I received I chose Young Living Essential Oils.  Here is why:

1.  They are popular.  Seriously.  They will pop up everywhere.  I think this speaks volumes.  Who knows--there may be better oils out there with better distilling processes and farming practices, whatever...BUT it is comforting to know that a great multiple of moms use Young Living oils on their chilrens.  You don't get to be a popular product by being crappy.  Plus also, Young Living is the only brand that offers "seed to seal" comfort, which means that they own the farm where they raise the rosemary/lavender/oil ingredients and oversee the whole process. That comforts me.  The only thing that comforts me more is my husband.  And maybe gummy bears.  And also, I may have just gotten the sillies.

2.  Several moms on my facebook group use them and love them.  This meant more to me than the random mom blogs I read.  While I don't know the moms personally, the facebook group I'm a part of mainly consists of women who live in a small, North Carolina seminary town and their husbands are in the ministry.  They are sweethearts, the group is not snarky, not preachy, and they rally around their own.  One mama just lost her baby to SIDs and the women in the group have really stepped up to care for the family.  I guess what I'm trying to say is, when people you "know" use the oils--well, it has even more weight than the random mom blogs you read.

3.  Young Living makes the original Thieves oil.  Thieves is the bee's knees of EOs.  All other oils market their blend as "their blend of thieves."  Thieves smells like Christmas and is supposed to be the best at warding off the sickies.  There are countless blogs spouting recipes for Thieves--but why not get the best at the source?  All others are knock-offs.  

4.  Money, money, money.  Essential oils are not cheap.  Young Living had the best deal for the most extensive sample kit with a diffuser.  And the diffuser is the type that doesn't use pads, so you don't need to keep reordering pads to use, which is a plus.  I actually signed up as a distributer of the oils, so if you'd like some or want more information leave a comment or shoot me an email.  

5.  doTERRA is another brand of oils that came in second place in my book.  THEN, I found out through more research googling a mom blog that the head guys of doTERRA actually used to work for Young Living.  That sounded shady to me, so I was like, hmmm...no thanks.

6.  I went to a local grocery store called Earthfare to price out Aura Cacia oils.  They are actually a lot cheaper, but I couldn't really find info on people using them for anything other than aromatherapy.  

7.  Kris Carr, of Crazy, Sexy fame uses Young Living.  The episode she did on Oprah stands out in my memory and she's half-Colombian, so that gives her some serious cred.

8.  I just had to bite the bullet.  It's already November.  Winter is practically upon us.  The whole idea of using EO's (in my mind) is to PREVENT serious sickies before they happen.  (Although, you can use them when already sick too).  In the end, you can spend ALL.THE.TIMES. researching and debating, but eventually you have to make a decision.  And my decision was Young Living.

So there are my reasons.  I should note that I haven't actually received my oils yet.  They are currently being shipped to my mom's house.  (Be on the lookout, mom).  It's hard to prove a negative--how will I know they actually worked?  Maybe I wouldn't have gotten sick anyway? And of course, the biggest variable is that last year Max was in daycare and this year he isn't.  But, we're already getting some sniffles and I'm willing and excited to give EO's a try.  Lots of mamas swear by them and you can trust a mom, amen?!?  Our intuition is the greatest and we know our stuff. 

I will let you know how it goes when I receive and start using my oils!  I'll be like a voo-doo, witch, medicine lady!

5 Favorites

Hello!  It's been a while!  Welcome, favoriteers! In case you hadn't gathered, this post is part of the five favorites link-up.  Let's just jump right in:

1--A well-dressed kid.

 His attire is compliments of an arched back and locked knees while I was trying to change him.  Ugh.  Sometimes getting dressed is the most frustrating part of the day.  He won the battle, but I put a hat on him since it was cold outside and I try not to look 100% irresponsible.  I always try to stay at a solid 60%.  Since outfit curation and credits are apparently a mom blog thing, allow me to share:
Hat--Target
Socks--Target
Diaper--Kawaii via Sweetbottoms
Supreme Cuteness--via Genetic Mutation

2--Turkey Beanie Baby

 Who knew that thing would provide minutes of entertainment every morning?  I'm so glad I saved it from my grandmother's belongings to use as a Thanksgiving decoration.

3--My Powder Room Decor

First of all, I realize that people probably don't say powder room anymore.  Whatevs.  The 3 wall hangings are goodwill finds, spray painted blue.  The chalkboard used to be a mirror, until my crafty paws got a hold of it for a mere $2.99.  Love, love here we are...in the bathroom.  Nope, Team Frowow isn't weird.

4--Young Living Essential Oils

I'm about to order my starter kit.  I'm so excited!  Essential oils are THEE THING in the crunchy mom blog world right now.  I've totally succumbed to the peer pressure.  Since I haven't actually used them yet, I have to admit  that the idea of them is my favorite thing...I will write a review. Wait with bated breath.  I know you will.

5--I cannot finish this post.

Our computer is being unreasonably slow.  I just had to wait 5 seconds for that sentence to appear.  I've got to scoot and skidaddle before I throw the thing against the wall.  I'm not violent.

Questions for you:  Are you violent?  Plus also, have you used Essential Oils before?  What did you think?

Siete Rapido Takes: Colombia Edition

It's quick takes time!
Back in August of 2009, Team Frowow boarded a plane and traveled south to the land of Colombia.  Why?  Because Andres Frowow is Colombian.  I had never been to South America and was so excited to go and see a new place and, of course, meet Andres's familia.  Many people associate Colombia with Pablo Escobar, crime, guns, cocaine, and general unsafety. The reality is that the people are friendly and probably won't shoot you.  Andres's family lives in the capital, Bogota, which is big, beautiful, and has lots of buses.  LAWTS of buses.  Here are more random facts about Colombia:
1.  It's known as the Athens of South America
2.  It has world-class eye doctors.  I believe Lasik surgery was invented in Colombia.
3.  Hillary Duff has given a concert in Colombia.
4.  The Killers have also concerted in the country.
So, you see?  It's not all buses, all the time.  There's also eye doctors and concerts.  Here are seven rapido takes about Bogota, Colombia:

UNO

Ever here of Fernando Botero?  Now you have.  He's a Colombian artist known for painting and sculpting bloated, oversized people, places, and things.  All the nouns.  He creates.  The Botero museum is located in Bogota.  We went.  We saw.  We photographed Andres with a painting of a bloated posterior.

DOS

Every major city worth it's salt has an abundant pigeon population.  Bogota has pigeons and alpacas.  Or maybe that's a llama.  Or maybe alpacas and llamas are the same animal.  I don't know.  I am not an animal person.  At all.  But whatever they are called, Bogota has them.

TRES

If memory serves, this was taken in the Macarena district of Bogota.  Why is the Macarena section significant?  Because it was in this area that we ate at a restaurant where I had Thee Best pulpo of my life.  Which brings me to...

CUATRO

The Food.  Oh my goodness, I cannot even.  The first photo is soup made by Andres's grandmother.  The soup in Colombia was so freaking amazing.  Even the mondongo, which contains sheep stomach.  Almojabanas are pictured second.  I cannot even describe how good they are.  There is nothing here in the United States that compares or even comes close.  Lastly, we have hot chocolate with bread and cheese.  Apparently, putting slices of cheese into hot chocolate so they melt is a thing.  A good thing.

CINCO

Umm, look at that tree house.  Do I even need to explain further?

SEIS

Andres's Aunt Dula is an amazing painter.  All three above paintings are just a sample of the work she has displayed in her house.  We purchased a gorgeous red painting from her and it hangs in our family room.  It is so beautiful and sentimental, it's one of my favorite things in our house.  The process of transporting it from Colombia back home to Raleigh is one of the most stressful, irritating tales of my life thanks to the insanity, cold-heartedness, lunacy, and self-importance of Miami TSA agents.  But whatever.  It's here now and thankfully did not get damaged or lost flying without Team Frowow as it's chaperones and spending an hour alone, discarded in a pile at RDU baggage claim.  

SIETE

I told you Bogota was big.  How did I get this aerial view?  By going up here:

On this mode of transportation:

The teleferico ride to Monserrate was...honestly not as bad as I thought it was going to be.  The picture is deceiving.  The ride to the top of the mountain is so high and so steep that it was practically a vertical line.  But, it was worth it for views like this:

And pictures like this:

Hmmm...maybe not that.  But whatevs, I was glad we went.  I look forward to the day when we can take Max to Bogota to see family and learn about his heritage.  A heritage to be proud of, except for all the buses.

Failure or Success?

Today is quite the day.  I think these kids want me dead.  Thank goodness neither one can reach the knife block.  Anyways, it began with a trip to the library playground.  The girl slept in the Ergo and the boy ran happily, until it was time to go home.  We began our trek to the car at 11:20 and were all buckled in by 11:45, if that tells you anything.

Pictured:  one toddler on the sidewalk, refusing to use his legs.  Not pictured:  one toddler in the middle of a dirt pile, the street, the grass, and a forest trail refusing to use his legs.  Plus also, one frazzled mother thinking lots LAWTS of expletives.

 But, why dwell on failures?  Let's focus on success!  While corralling small humans may not be my thang, I am very good with non-verbal, inanimate objects.  Remember my weekend craft list?  Well, observe!

ONE

 Here we have my Thanksgiving pom pom garland.  It's hanging all wonky because someone I know likes to stand on top of the red toy basket and pull it down.

TWO

 Ghostly-pale, spindly, fingernails on my 97 year old hand painted blue?  Check!

THREE

 Did we do it?  Oh yes, we did.  I got out the paints, we made a mess, AND ended up with three of these masterpieces.  Best mom ever awards will be accepted.

FOUR

 Advent calendar activities?  Like a boss.

FIVE

Aaaand, last but not least, here we have a sample of the completed food labels for Max's second birthday.  I am very excited about the Little Blue Truck/farm theme!

As you can see, I owned my crafts.  Now both childrens are napping and when the big one wakes up we are going to start very loosely doing our "Homeschool Preschool" with Before Five in Row.  Today's plan:  read Jesse Bear, What Will you Wear?  It's going to be epic.

TTYL!  TTFN!  LYLAS! (early nineties throwback for you young-uns)