Gosh I still can't believe I'm a mom. I'm actually responsible for another human being! Crazy!!! Everything is still pretty new to me...considering I'm only a month in into mommyhood, but I tell you what, it's my favorite job ever! Ahhh sooo in love with my Kenz.

I say this time and time again...moisturize, moisturize...moisturize!

The job of a moisturizer is to attract moisture and to protect the skin on your face by forming a barrier that holds in the water that's already there. By using a moisturizer, you can stop your skin from losing its hydration and allow it to put the moisture it does have to good use. Along with properly moisturizing your face, using a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher can aid in preventing wrinkles and skin cancer as well as many other possible long-term benefits for your skin! Yummmm! Who doesn't love that??

Moisturizers with SPF is a major must-have to add to your daily skincare routine because you don’t have to apply another sunblock to your face and secondly, the oily sunblocks that have made you break out for years can now not be used on your face thus resulting in less acne, and a lighter feel throughout the day. Here's a list of a few of my faves!

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 30

Supergoop! SPF 30+ Everyday UV Face and Body Moisturizer

COOLA Suncare SPF 30 Cucumber Matte Finish Sunblock

Anthelios Daily Anti-Aging Primer SPF50

Fresh Soy Moisturizing Cream SPF 20

Philosophy 'hope In A Jar' Daily Moisturizer Spf 25 For All Skin Types

Lancôme BIENFAIT MULTI-VITAL - SPF 30 CREAM - High Potency Vitamin Enriched Daily Moisturizing Cream

CLINIQUE Superdefense SPF 20 Age Defense Moisturizer

Kate Somerville® 'Daily DeflectorTM' Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ Anti-Aging Sunscreen

Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Repair Oil-Free Day Lotion SPF 15

It's important to mention that SPF and flash photography are not the best of friends. This is because Titanium Dioxide (used in a lot of SPF) and Mica (found in mineral makeups and shimmery eye shadows) deflects light from a flash often making you look pale/washed out and/or shiny.
[Credit: Beauty High, HowStuffWorks]

As with many restaurants and cuisines, nothing ever comes close to the tastes you grew up with. You can travel the world, dining at every restaurant known to man...but that extra pinch of pepper or dash of soy sauce your mom or grandma puts on your favorite dish never compares to the $55 dish you just travelled half the world for in hopes to taste a bit of home.

Here's a recipe a whipped up with the help of my mom, aunt, and cousins...

Hope you try it and do let me know how it goes!

CHICKEN ADOBO

Ingredients:
+ 2.5 lbs chicken
+ 2 tbsp olive oil
+ 4 garlic cloves
+ .5 cup low sodium soy sauce
+ .5 cup apple cider vinegar
+ 1 cup water
+ 1 tsp chicken base (bouillon)
+ 1 tbsp black peppercorns
+ 2 bay leaves

Directions:
+ Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Throw in the garlic and let it perfume and flavor the oil until the garlic pieces achieve a caramel color. Remove from the pan before it burns (otherwise it will leave a bitter taste). Brown the chicken pieces until golden brown on both sides, then remove.

+ Pour in vinegar and soy sauce, and season with the caramelized garlic, black pepper and bay leaf. Add the browned chicken and water, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Once water has reached a boil, add the chicken base (bouillon) and reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through, 45 mins to 1 hour.

I live by the rule "no kitchen item should only have one purpose." I heard Ina Garten say it once on Barefoot Contessa and it's stuck ever since. I abide by this for everything...my make-up kit, my clothes, shoes, etc. It really helps in weeding out all the unwanted clutter...preventing me from buying junk that I can only use once or for one purpose only. So today, Theo and I walked into Crate&Barrel with a generous gift-card from the sis-in-law, Cinthya, and shopped for things we were missing in out kitchen. We're extremely excited to use the Multi-Cooker set...a stockpot with a steamer and pasta cooker. Perfect for making dumplings, steaming lobster/crabs...and of course, cooking pasta.