Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Sunglasses from FIRMOO!

About a month ago, I was contacted by Antonio from FIRMOO.COM to possibly review a pair or RX glasses or fashion sunglasses. I opted for the sunglasses because with prescription glasses, I like to actually try and feel them on before making any final decisions. After I sent in my order, I was quite surprised at how fast the shipping and delivery was! It's taken me a while to finally write a review, because I've just been incredibly busy with so many different projects and most importantly, being an awesome mom! :) 

FIRMOO claims to be the world's most popular online eyeglass store with over 530,000 fans on their Facebook Page. They carry sunglasses and RX glasses starting from only $8! They have a variety of frames, lenses, and styles to choose from. Their aim? Vision & Fashion, the FRUGAL way. Haha, love it! You get high quality eyewear at such an affordable price! Firmoo launched a program offering free eyewear to first-time buyers in order to make more people try Firmoo’s quality products & excellent service.
(You just need to pay shipping/handling.)

(Screwdriver & extra screws not pictured.)

This is the pair of fashion sunglasses I chose. I went for this style and color, because I wanted to step out of my basic, boring comfort zone and try something a little more unique. I know this style won't be to everyone's liking, but I actually ended up loving it! I originally seleced the tortoise design frames, but unfortunately they were out of stock. But I can honestly say I'm not disappointed with the color I settled with! I DO feel the bright yellow color would be more appropriate for the summer or spring, but if you're like me, you'll wear what you like no matter the season. 

NOTEI recently found out that these specific frames are being phased out by the manufacturer/designer. However, if you really like them, they are able to check if there are any left in stock for you. (Model #: OTO2506 / Color #: YellowC23) 

First Impression: The packages included: (pictured above) the sunglasses, a case, a cleaning cloth, a velvet pouch, and a clear plastic bag containing a screwdriver and 6 tiny screws. I am incredibly happy with the way it fits & hugs my face! Because I have a really flat nose, most sunglasses (with the exception of higher end designer sunglasses) always end up sliding down the bridge of my nose, so I'll have to constantly push it back up. It's annoying, but I've dealt with it since I started wearing sunglasses. But with these bad boys,  they don't budge! I am very impressed with that quality alone! 
What drew me in from the beginning is the gradient effect of the lenses. I am in absolute love with them! The dark ombre effect next to a bright, yet smooth yellow frame makes an excellent combination. The lenses are what closed the deal for me, but the beautiful detailing of the temples was just an awesome bonus! I also love that the temples are made of real metal rather than the typical silver painted plastic.

Shipping/Delivery: After I sent in my order, it was shipped the next day! I was super impressed with how fast it was processed. I received my package in less than 5 days. It didn't come inside a box like I expected, but inside of an air bag package. However, the sunglasses were already inside the case that it comes with so nothing was broken or bent. The package arrived safely and perfectly intact. 
Quality: This pair was retailed at $44.90. The quality of the product surprised me. It's lightweight, but still durable. It's definitely not as flimsy as my cheap $10 sunglasses, but I wouldn't say it's as sturdy as some of the higher end designers sunglasses I've had. But even so, it has put up with quite a bit. I'm not the type of person to carry around the sunglass case, so if I don't need them right away, I'll just toss them into my purse. It's a terrible habit because my purse is filled with loads of crap and things get lost or broken in there. Mirrors, sunglasses, makeup, and headbands are just a few of the things that ended up broken inside my bag. But these sunglasses have stayed intact this whole time. They've gotten a few smudge prints on them, but that can easily be cleaned off. 
Customer Service: I am extremely satisfied with their customer service. Antonio was very prompt and fast with his responses. He was very professional and direct with his emails. If anything, I was the one that was late with my email responses and review! I definitely recommend them to everyone! And like I stated earlier, YOU CAN GET YOUR FIRST PAIR FREE HERE! :) You just can't beat FREE. If there are any questions or concerns, you can always email them at service@firmoo.com.
Disclaimer:  I was sent this product for review purposes by FIRMOO.COM. I am not in any way, shape, or form affiliated with this company, nor am I getting any kind of compensation for this review. All thoughts, opinions, and pictures are my own unless stated otherwise. Whether it's good or bad, I am always 100% HONEST.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Friends, please vote for Ethan! :)

Hi, friends! 
Just wanted to quickly post this up since voting started a few days ago and I totally forgot until today. We've entered Ethan in a radio "Cutest Kid" contest here in Seattle and hoping to get your votes! Ethan has been such a great baby and things have been tight right now and he definitely deserves a nice shopping spree!

I would appreciate if you would take just a little time out of your day and vote for him! :) I know it's kind of a hassle, especially since you have to create an account, but I promise it takes less than 5 minutes!

Each email account can vote up to 10 times a day. You can split your votes or you can use up your votes for on baby (GO ETHAN!! Hehe..)

PLEASEEEEEEEEEE!!! We would forever be grateful! Click on the picture or link below to be directed there! Thank you, ladiessssss!!! Love you!!! <3

Monday, April 9, 2012

Maternity Photoshoot 2012

Pictures only! :)

The Labor/Delivery Story of Ethan!

Once again, I almost went MIA! :) But I'm glad I have a little time to share my labor and delivery story. It was such a journey.. I was full term (40 weeks & 1 day) when I went in for my induction. Man, oh, man.. NEVER EVER will I ever get induced again (unless there are actual health reasons). 

I had an overall smooth pregnancy since he was FULL term, it was okay for him to come out. But even though they help you induce your labor, baby will still only come when he wants to.. So basically, you'll be in pain and contracting and waiting. At least when your water breaks or you start contracting on your own, your baby is telling you they want out, so most likely they'll be coming very soon. I was in active labor for 2 days and INTENSE pushing for 2 hours straight. It was thee worst pain ever! And the pain didn't stop even when he came out. Here, let's make it easier and I'll just break it down.. 

The day of the induction..
The hospital had told me not to eat anything 1 1/2 hour before I went in, so babe and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings for the first time earlier that day. I took a nap at home until I had to check myself in around 4pm. The nurse had told me if I wanted to eat, I'd better eat asap because I could only take the meds an hour after I eat and I won't be able to eat again until baby is out. I honestly thought everything was going to move along fast.. NOPE. I took the meds and fluids to help me dilate and contract, but my body was taking forever to do both those things. I chose 3 people to be in the delivery room with me: babe, my mom, and my best friend (known this girl for 15 years and I was in the room for the birth if my godson!).

I walked around the hospital so many times and eventually after some hours, I felt a little pain. I was stupid and believed that little pain was my contractions. Boy.. I had no idea what FULL on contractions until I REALLY felt it. I wanted to die!!! They were really strong and so close together, but I was only dilated 3cm, so they did what they could to slow it down.
The next day..
A day later and still no baby, but of course, I was still contracting and VERY slowly dilating. I was STARVINGGGG too!!! No food since the day before and I still wasn't allowed to eat until baby got here. Man, oh, man.. Everyone was hungry and babe stopped by and picked up Taco Bell for everyone. I don't know what he was thinking getting 20+ tacos just for the 3 of them! HAHA! Of course, I couldn't eat it. I just glared at all of them while they stuffed their pretty little faces. Sighh.. Aren't they evil? Hehee..

The contractions got REALLY bad at this point. I was in the worst pain ever! And I was still only dilated at 4 cm! 24 hours have passed and I only dilated 1 cm.. I could see on the monitor (and feel) how bad my contractions were. I needed an epidural. I was contracting full out and it looked like baby wasn't going to come anytime soon. I was scared because I've heard from a few moms how bad the needle hurts, but honestly, I felt a little pinch and that was it. It wasn't bad at all! 

After about 15 minutes it started kicking in, but it was only working on my left side. I could still feel EVERY little pain on my whole right side. They told me it happens and tilted me so it can get to my other side as well. It took a while, but eventually I was numb all down. I could see I was contracting on the monitor, but I felt nothing. It was a really nice break from all that excruciating pain I had felt earlier. Since I got my epidural early, if I felt anything coming on, I could press a button every 10 minutes that would release some type of pain killer in my back (if I needed it).. BUT I ended up falling asleep for hours and it must have been wearing off because I woke up to a cramping pain again. They gave me shot and it was feeling better.

Day 2 (of active labor)..
I finally dilated 10cm! Good news is that it's time to push and bring my little man out! Bad news is that the epidural freaking wore off!!! Of course at this point it's too late to get any more type of pain medication. It was around 1am and I had to push:
  • ..with no epidural (& feeling EVERYTHING),
  • ..no energy from lack of food (been two days since my last meal at this point),
  • & 7 people in the delivery room (felt like I couldn't breathe)! 
I still don't see why I had to have 3 nurses to "aid" my doctor. He didn't even want them all in there either. Haha, it was funny because he looked just as annoyed as I was. One of them wasn't even doing sh*t. She just stood there and watched with a weird look on her face (probably because I was screaming). I wanted to punch the b*tch and kick her out.

Anyways, I was in ACTIVE labor for 2 days overall and it took 2 hours of pushing until he finally came out. It was the WORST 2 hours of my life! I threw up a couple times during the pushing and I really felt like I couldn't breathe. They gave me an oxygen mask, but weirdly, it felt like it was suffocating me even more. 

I honestly thought my delivery would be like my girlfriend's. It took 15 of pushing to get her boy out and she felt nothing! Lucky girl.. Poor hubs.. I was soo mean to him! My labor was just like in the movies. A LOT of excruciating screams. Later I was told that the reason I may have been a little crazy is because one of the medications they gave me can make you feel claustrophobic and nutty. Thank goodness it wasn't just me being a wack job. It was the MEDSS! 
You know in the movies, after the women have their babies, they feel fine and happy? Well, different story here. So, keep in mind, my epidural wore off so I felt:
  •  ..the after-birth cramping (felt just like contractions),
  • ..the pushing of getting the rest of the placenta out, 
  • & the STITCHING of your precious area (yup, I tore..)!!!
The cramping was so bad that I could hold or nurse my baby right away. ): I was willing to still try (regardless of my pain levels), but the nurses told me I shouldn't since it would only make me feel worse. I was tossing and turning, crying, and groaning for 45 minutes AFTER he was born. Agh! I know labor and delivery is different for everyone, but I didn't think it would be like this! The first pee after was so terrifying! Haha, my mind was ready to go, but my body wouldn't release! Finally, when I did, it wasn't so bad and I had no problem after that.

AHHHH!!!! But he was finally here!!!! He is so beautiful, right?! Although, he did have the "cone-head" at first which made his head look alien-esque, but it's perfectly normal and round now. I remember that's the first thing I asked the doctor when he popped out, "Is his head going to stay that way?!" HAHA, I was getting upset with myself because I didn't push him out fast enough.
Ethan Taeyang 
21inches & 8lbs 10oz

Finally getting to hold him!

Hubs with his mini-me!



He was already smiling & laughing!


He's finally home!!!
Would I consider having another one? Uhh.. Well, my initial answer was "NO!" for the first month, but watching this little man grow and because of how much I love him, I actually would! Maybe not anytime soon, but it would be nice to make him a little brother or sister to play with so he doesn't grow up lonely and spoiled. Maybe in 2 years, I'll think about it. 

But one thing I do know for sure, NEVER will I do an induction again (unless there are health-risk reasons). I realize, they'll come when they're ready to come. Not only do you have to play the annoying waiting game, but you'll be in pain a lot sooner and longer than if you waited naturally. If you decide to go with epidural, try to wait it out as long as you can. Getting it too soon gives you a higher chance of it wearing off if you're taking too long to dilate. I learned that the hard way. -__- Even so, I'd much rather do it this way than having a c-section. I hear it's an even more painful recovery! 

AFTER: MY BODY..
It's never ending! I swelled up. Not just my feet, but my body. I was wondering why generally women look plumper literally right AFTER they have their baby and found out it's because you're sharing certain fluids with baby, and when they are out, you are retaining all that fluid by yourself. Boy, oh boy.. My FEET swelled up so big!!! 
Covered my unpainted, nasty, crusty looking toes to you don't go blind!
The swelling took forever to go down. Probably because I was always on my feet trying to get stuff done. It hurt to even walk on these bad boys. Swollen feet, extreme back pains, painfully healing "lady parts", and intense cramping (from nursing).. You can only imagine how overwhelmed and exhausted I felt taking care of a newborn on top of all this discomfort! 

Oh and what sucks is that even though the swelling in my feet ha gone all the way down by this point, I feet actually did grow a size up.. ): *SAD BEAR* I looked it up and it says during pregnancy, the ligaments in your feet can expand and it's permanent. OMG. All my nice shoes (even the ones I never got to wear) don't fit anymore! I'm irritated! I'll just have to find them nice homes.. Hmm blog sale?! 

All in all, even though I had a rough before, during, and after experience, it was ALL worth it. I love my little boy so much! He makes me incredibly happy. I honestly cannot imagine life without him anymore! :D 
Some random shots of him over 
the course of two months:

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

WithLoveJen + SneakPeeq Giveaway Winners

Hi, friends!!! 
Wow, it's been a long time since my last entry.. Well, if you follow me on Instagram (WithLoveJen) or Twitter (@JENNYoCOM), you know that I finally had my baby boy!!!  I have sooo much to share! I am extremely excited to finally tell everyone my complete story. It has been absolutely CRAZY! Motherhood is NOT easy and labor was the hardest, most painful thing I've ever experienced in my life.  


But first things first.. The giveaway I was hosting in collabs with SneakPeeq ended on January 30th and I want to thank everyone that entered and have been patient with me. I'm sooo sorry it took so long, but my life has been so busy and exhausting being a first time mom! But I want to go ahead and announce the winners! Sofia from SneakPeeq has sent me the list of people that have clicked into their site from the link that I have provided and from that list is where I had to choose the winners for the gift cards. 

$25 Gift Card Winners:


Cristina Cummings

VyVy Pham

Browning Cha

Sarah Barnes


$10 Gift Card Winners:


Milos Markovic

Marie Castro

Vanessa Wang

Eva Shum

Juliana Todorowa


Bonus Winner:

Chaya Bunny

I'll be emailing you all very shortly!
Thanks everyone for being soo patient with me!!! Because of your constant support, I'm putting together another giveaway that I think you'll like even better! I'll be sure to update veryyy soon with my complete labor and motherhood stories! Stay tuned!! *Biiiiigggg Smileeee* 

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Quick Update + THANK YOU for all the wonderful comments/follows!

Reminder: 10 Winners Giveaway ending in 9 days!! Hurry and join!!

Whoa! I've been quite MIA within the blogging community recently. My last post was over two weeks ago. I'm sorry if I have been replying to people's questions or comments! I have a LOT of catching up to do! Unfortunately, this pregnancy AND being sick at the same time has taken a major toll on my body. As you could imagine, sitting at a computer is the last thing I wanted to do feeling the way I did.

I need to catch up with some folks and do some follow backs! I can't believe I made it to 600+ blogger buddies already and only being consistently active with this blog since July 2011! This is an amazing feeling and I appreciate every single person that shows interest in whatever my silliness has to say. Like I've been saying, I've meant some of the most wonderful people through the blogging world and it's my favorite place to share anything and everything.

I am due any day now, so you might not hear from me right away, but when I find some extra time, I'll be sure to post many more entries, reply to everyone, and read everyone else's recent entries! :) Here's a little peak at some upcoming posts! Thanks for being patient with me! I promise I am not ignoring ANYONE! You can reach me for faster responses through Twittter: @ JENNYoCOM  or email me (contact info section)! Love you, wonderful ladies!!! XOXO


Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Lioele: Beyond the Solution BB Cream


LIOELE
"Beyond the Solution"
BB Cream (50ml)
Product Info:
For ALL skin types.
NO UV Protection.
Non-oily, yet moisturizing.
Long lasting FULL coverage.
Color: Natural Beige
What it claims:
It has a silky, creamy texture with a light floral scent. It creates a clear and natural skin tone by effectively absorbing into the skin. You can complete makeup speedily as it does not require any makeup-base or foundation.
How to use:
After final skin-care stage, apply an appropriate amount on the desired part or the entire face evenly.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

WithLoveJen + SneakPeeq 10 Winners Giveaway!

Sopfia from SneakPeeq.com was so kind enough to contact me to sponsor a giveaway. They are providing my friends/ readers with not one, not two, but with NINE gifts cards to give away for their online shop! You will even receive 20% off your next purchase JUST for entering! And to make the amount of prizes even, I've added my own special little prize for a last place winner. Ah! I'm so excited for so many winners ツ! And even though this giveaway is sponsored, it's seriously all for YOU guys. I didn't even get any gift cards or anything! But I am still very excited! Thank you, SneakPeeq! Please be sure to READ the rules/ requirements carefully! Because there are things you MUST do to be able to get the 20% off and/or ENTER this giveaway! 





Sunday, January 1, 2012

Giveaway Winner, December 2011, + Jen's Tag

Rafflecopter has made this giveaway so damn easy, I love it! I could weed out duplicates quickly and one click of a button and my winner is selected! :) Love, love! Next time I need to remember NOT to put in my actual @name for twitter. LOL, I didn't realize how many tweets I would be bombed with and I ended up missing a lot of mentions.. :( I hope I replied back to everyone. I really do appreciate those that have done the "tweet once a day" extra entry!!! You guys have put the biggest smile on my face every time I signed into Twitter! Because of that I feel so bad I can't give EVERYONE a gift. 

BUTTTT, don't feel discouraged because--


I have the honor of hosting a 10 winner giveaway sponsored by SneakPeeq.com!!! I will post it up VERY soon! :) YAY! More chances of winning and winners! *seal claps* Pwahah~ 



Anyways, the winner of this giveaway is...