Trying to Conceive #1 - TTC Abbreviations, BFNs and hair everywhere

First comes love than comes marriage, than comes TTC journey...


We got married a over a year ago. Since February last year we are actively TTCing (trying to conceive).

For over 10 years I am suffering with polycystic ovarian syndrome aka PCOS. Pcos include female hormonal imbalance that can cause problems with your periods or get in the way of you getting pregnant. If you are diagnosed or interested about it here are some great and helpful links so you can inform yourself in far more details than it will be available here, cuz this aint no medical blog, it is a crazy lady life and makeup blog.

In short I have a lot of little, immature follicles that are refusing to grow up and act like adults and pop for me. So I don't ovulate... Ergo no babies. Crap. But that's not all folks! With this lovely side effect you get not one but an abundance of all kinds of nasty little annoying asshole symptoms including (but not limited to): hair growing everywhere, EVERYWHERE you don't wont it to and falling off your head; angry, mean and painful face demons aka acne; gaining weight with extreme ease and not being able to lose it no matter what I don't eat; irregular periods and one of my top favorites: PMS that lasts for weeks, WEEKS!! Can you immagine?! I am lucky that this person, I call my hubbz, has the patience and is understanding as much as he is. (Don't get me wrong, he is often full of IT, but he has some good sides :D )

So after almost a year of sexing it UP with no results and a large amount of medical probing, poking, touching, squeezing, pricking, blood draining and all the other kinds drainings, we (doctors, hubbz and I) came to conclusion that his baby juice (excuse my language, but I talk like this and this is my blog so, I think I'll just be me and if you get upset by this type of language we, probably, aren't the best mach) is some kind of magical super sperm that can make dirt preggerz but not this lady, with messed up ovaries. Other than that I have clean bill of health. High five for clean vajayjay! (if you know where this is from, YOU ARE AWESOME!)

We are both young-ish (late 20ies, early 30ies) and still quite broke-ish so we decided that we are going to start our pregnancy battle with fertility aid Level 1 Novice. It includes metformin, some supplements, some foods and drinks, charting, OPKs (ovulation prediction kits),  joined some Croatian and international ttc forums and crossed my fingers. I will talk about all of them in the next post.

Ttc forums are great. There is an army of strong, determined ladies and gentleman that are struggling with the same problems and keeping each others strengths and hopes up with heart warming sections of success stories that make me cry every time. If you are new to this type of community (as I am) there are allot abbreviation you should be familiar with to get around baby, pregnancy, pcos or ttc forums. I will help you with them so we can all scan the interwebs obsessively, think and talk babies and how we are failing/succeeding to make them.

These are some abbreviations I found my self searching for while foruming around and that I will be using here in future. Lets get started:

AF - Aunt/y Flow, that bitch that always brings cramps and headaches with her. I thought I was lucky she only visited me three times a year, but then I realized I want to see her stupid face every month at the same time and now I hate her every month and I like she at least came. Dysfunctional much..?!

BBT - Basal body temperature, that's the temp you don't want to be bothered with first thing when you open your eyes. But it is important and forces you to get to know your body. (later on it..)

BC - Birth control, the one thing we hate..Do not control meeeeeeee....(also may come in BCPC form and it refers to pills)

BD - Baby dance/ing... ;) lovemaking, fornicating, humping, shaging... Having SEX!

BFN - Big Fat Negative. Every damn month... Thumbs down for BFN

BFP - Big Fat POSITIVE!!!! That is it! You're balling your eyes out and running to buy 10 more pregnancy tests and pee on all of the things just to make sure you are not craz/have faulty trest/can't see/stroking...Never got one.

CD - Cycle day. Number of days since the first day of your last period.. So in my case CD58, 59....CD120...Whatever.

CF/M - Cervical fluid/mucus. I don't feel comfy about this because I just can't figure it out, it all looks the same to me.

DD/F/H/P/S/W - Dear daughter/fiance/husband/partner/son/wife. I have problems with these, I am not loving as all the other great ppl on ttc forums. Also I always feel so jeally when someone types DD/DS and  ttc#2,#3,#4....damn, my little evil black jealous heart...

DPO - Days past ovulation. After a positive OPK or a peek of your BBT.

O/O'd - Ovulation/ovulated...didn't..

PG - Pregnancy, preggo, preggerz, goal, wish, starting to tear up....

POAS - Peeing on a stick...Hate it and am so afraid to get yet another BFN

RE - Reproductive endocrinologist. Magician. The "make it happen" person.

US - Ultrasound.

TMI - hope not...

Thank you. Talk to you later. Baby dust for everyone!

Maria, xo



 

Recipe for Stress Free Wedding #1 - Zovko Hoteli

Boyfriend and girlfriend sitting in the tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g...

A little more than a year ago I got married. I've been with my wonderful man for 5 and a half years before we tight a knot.

May 23, 2014 is one of the happiest days of my life. We started planning the wedding in November, 2013. We've put alot of planning into that day. There was quite of drama during that 6 months but it was all worth it! I will tell you a little about my experience with planning a wedding and mention some of the people and places, besides my wonderful man, that made my wedding day perfect and stress free.

First order of business was finding a wedding venue that had a beautiful interior, offered awesome food for the wedding diner and, if possible, reasonably priced. We looked all over Zagreb for a perfect place. After six failed attempts we visited Zovko Hotels in Sesvete. And we fell in love!

Situated on the east side of Zagreb and easily accessible by car or taxi but away from traffic jam in the center off the city seemed like a good thing to start with.

We arranged a meeting with the hotel manager. The person in charge of the wedding organization in Zovko was waiting for us, willing to answer all of the questions, even those we didn't know we had. The place looked amazing, the food that they offer was just what we looking for (and my hubby being a "foodie", we were looking for a lot) and the price was more than reasonable. I was in love. Plus all of the above, they have their own light show, all kinds of decorations and more than imaginable number of color schemes for the venue (table cloths, napkins, ribbons, chairs, vases, displays, candle holders, oh my..)

 

Zovko wedding team consists of well trained and professional waiting staff, receptionists, great chefs and the Queen that makes happen. There was no table that had to ask for anything because as soon a bottle of vine or water or juice ran out there was instantly one to replace it, thanks to hard working staff. The food was so delicious, freshly made and of the highest quality. And I am so thankful for it.

Buffet in the lobby for the guests that were waiting for us. Mmmmm..

The lady that keeps everything perfectly running is the most engaged, organized and wonderful person. From the second we entered the meeting to arrange the venue business till the day we left the hotel as a married couple, she made us feel like the only couple that is getting married in Croatia. She dealt with the florists, the bakers, photographers so I didn't have to worry about anything except coming to my wedding. Till this day we get holiday and anniversary texts from her. I thank you Maja from the bottom of my heart. I will never forget everything you did for us and I am your FOREVER FAN!

If you are on the look out for the venue for your wedding, business conference, christening or graduation party I highly recommend Zovko Hotels. This is not a sponsored post. This is written because of the perfectly perfect experience Zovko Hotels and their crew made my wedding reception to be. And I will be forever grateful.

Talk to you later,

Our table

Cheers!

Maria xo

Burt's Bees Honey & Grapeseed Oil Hand Cream Review

Soft hands are dreamy!

My line of work involves washing my hands like a very dedicated germophob, and not only with a soap but usually I am rubbing my hands with different kinds of antibacterial substances more than 30 times a day. And my hands feel it. Flaky skin on my palms or between my fingers are found on my hands more often then not. Sometimes my skin is so dry it cracks. Cray cray!

There is a lot of  affordable hand cremes available in drugstores all over Zagreb. Most of them will give you a temporary relief and make your hands smell nice. If you don't have dry skin as I do, you have so much to pick from. But I needed help for reals.

I dread those hand cremes that clump up while you rub them in. Do not appreciate those ones that just sit on your skin and don't really do much besides make you feel oily and dirty. So I started my little quest for a moisturizing non oily non clumping creme that sinks into your skin fast. I was trying all kinds of cremes and finally, thanks to one of my good friends, found my holy grail day creme.

Burt's Bees Honey & Grapeseed Oil Hand Cream is tha BOMB! It is the creme that fits all the necessary requirements. It is one of the most moisturizing cremes I've tried. It smells divine, sinks into your skin momentarily and no clumps what so ever.

This is what the company says about the creme:

 "Truly a gift from nature, this ultra-rich hand cream is enriched with three exotic butters - jojoba, cupuacu and macadamia to pamper hands that are dry from everyday routines. Burt's Bees natural hand cream melts into skin to moisturise and soften without a greasy after-feel.  Antioxidant-rich grape seed and sunflower oils nourish for soft beautiful hands, naturally. Your hands will be thoroughly delighted."

The cream is made of 99% natural ingredients: water (aqua, eau), simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) butter, vitis vinifera (grape) seed oil, glycerin, beeswax (cera alba, cire d'abeille), stearic acid, theobroma grandiflorum (cupuacu) seed butter, macadamia ternifolia (macadamia) seed oil, glucose, fragrance (parfum), sodium borate, xanthan gum, sucrose stearate, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, honey (mel, miel), rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, tocopherol, beta carotene, glucose oxidase, lactoperoxidase

You get 73,7 g of product in a squeezy tube. The price is around 13€. It is kind of pricey but it is worth every cent! You can buy it in Müller stores in Zagreb and all around EU or online on Amazon, feelunique.com or burtsbees.com

There are much more expensive cremes but this is by far the best one I've tried! My hands feel soft and beautifully scented. I repurchased it for the third time now and will continue to do so. Hope this helped sombody. If you have any questions I'm here for you. 


Talk to you later, 
Maria xo

Halo Eyeshadow Glam for Green Hooded Eyes

I love me some glam!

Having green eyes myself, I always love to play with reddish browns and purples on my eyes. But usually glam eye makeup is such a pointless thing to do on my very, very, very hooded eyes.  All the beautiful transitions and all the blending work is visible only when I close my eyes. That is cool, but it is a bit hard to go out with my eyes closed. Am I right?

As I like having my eye makeup visible I like doing it in a "halo" style. "Halo" means that the darker or the stand out color is placed in the inner and outer corner of the lid and pulled up quite high towards the brow, and the other color or colors are placed in the middle of the moving part of the lid.

Here I was using two eyeshadows: Reddish brown for the inner and outer corner of my eyes and a champagney sparkling one in the middle.

This is a more time consuming makeup look. It took me around 40 minutes to get my face glammed up.

Lets get going:
After my moisturizer soaked in, for my base I used  Eveline Cosmetics Art Scenic Covering and Smoothing Foundation in Naturalny. It really works good and my skin is having a good day so I didn't use any kind of concealer. I used Essence Big Bright Eyes jumbo pencil in Nude as an under eye highlighter. As a setting and mattifying powder I used Essence All About Matt fixing compact powder.

I contoured my face just a teeny tiny bit with Nyx Powder Blush in Taupe. Don't get confused by the picture, original blush packaging was broken so I depoted it and put it in an empty Guerlain eyeshadow palette compact with a mirror. For a blush I used Essence Blush Up in 20 Pinky Flow.

 For my eyeshadow base I used Mac Paint Pot in Soft Ochre. My darker eyeshadow of choice was one from a palette my mom bought me in Austria some time ago. It is a matte warm brown. On the free of color, middle part of my lid I've put L'Oreal Color Infaillible semi pressed pigment in 001 Time Resist White and as a highlight in my inner corner to open my eyes, I used ma fav Catrice Liquid Metal eyeshadow in 120 Satina Van Der Woodsen.

Got my eyebrows on fleek with Essence Brow Designer pencil in 05 Soft Blonde and brushed them through with a spoolie brush. I got Mac Eye Kohl in Fascinating in my waterline.

I forgot to take pictures of my lashes but they are Red Cherry Lashes 415 (I think, I threw away the friggin package) and Duo adhesive glue.

 And finally, on my lips I used Essence Lipliner in 12 Wish Me a Rose and Bourjois Rouge Edition lipstick in 02 Beige Trench.

I hope you like the look. If there is any Q I would be more than happy to answer them.

 Talk to you later,
Maria xo

"Late for anything" / Morning Makeup Look

Can we skip Mondays?! Cuz I don't need them..

I am not going to talk about my hiatus right now, but I will eventually. Today I'm going to give you one really really quick make up look.

This is my going to look when I'm late and I need to have my face on. I'm late most of the mornings because of those 5 more minutes snooze button. Work, quick coffee with my girls, running some errands: works perfect for those!
Quick, easy and cheep as no other. But afterwards I look presentable and not like a public hazard.

Lets jump into it...

I wake up and, after an everyday struggle of getting up, brush my teeth and try not to fall asleep on the toilette. Then I put on my skin care and get to my mirror, still hating life and mornings and clocks.
Try not to skip your morning skin care. Even it means you won't have time to put on your makeup, you will protect your skin from increased environmental exposure (sun), sweating, bacteria, dryness and other irritations.

For my face I am in love with  Max Factor Skin Luminizer Foundation. Enough coverage and a glow for perfect looking skin. Brilliant!! I bounce it on with Hello Beauty Makeup Sponge. I dust my t-zone and my under-eyes with Wet'n'wild Coverall pressed powder in Fair. It sets everything and it gives a subtle highlighting effect. Awesome!

Than with the same brush I used for the powder I warm my face a bit with  Catrice Sun Glow matt bronzing powder in 030 medium bronze. I use Essence Blush Up powder blush in 20 pink flow to put some pink back to my cheeks with an old essence blush brush that I love. It is black and pink!!! Lovez it!

My brows get some love and shape from Essence Brow Designer pencil in soft blonde. And now that I have only 10 min left until I have to leave I usually decide to skip the eyeshadow but today I decided to trow the darkest brown into my crease from the Essence Quattro eyeshadow quad in 05 to die for. I almost always put the inner eye corner highlight with Catrice Liquid Metal eyeshadow in 120 Satina Van Der Woodsen because I have these small hooded eyes that need help with looking like they are opened and awake.

Mascara L'Oreal Mega Volume Miss Manga and an eyelash curler make my eyes existent! So that is unskipable for my "I look decent" look.

On my I have one of my favorite lipliner-lipstick combo: Essence Lipliner in 06 Satin mauve and Deborah Milano Rosseeto Atomic Red Mat in 04. Such a low maintenance lip.

And that is it. I am out the door.

Talk to you later,

Maria xo

O.P.I. Danke-Shiny Red

Oh geez, here we go. My first review of anything! Ever! (Crowd is cheering with fanfare in the background...Weeeeeeee...) This is soooo exciting! (Yes? No? Lets say it is.)

This is my first O.P.I. Nail Lacquer, I usually go for quantity than quality because I thought there wasn't any real difference between 3$ (18kn) and 30$ (180kn) nail polishes. When I got this one from my best friend for Christmas I was like: Hell to tha Yeaaaaahhhh boooooooooooy, mommy's is going places with this thing on ma nails!

Danke-Shiny Red is a part of German Collection for fall/winter 2012. It was inspired by Berlin, city that is a melting pot of new fashion, classic looks and the avant-garde. This is what Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director, said about it: "Designers showcased rich colors and striking textures for fall. The Germany Collection beautifully complements fall looks, with standout shades in various hues of red and burgundy – the season’s ‘new black. Sapphire, black olive and lime yellow are married with creamy neutrals in honey, taupe and nude rose."

http://nailsandnoms.com

I am in love with this color. It is such a rich deep red with wonderful metallic finish. Appliance of this one is great, it is just a perfect, not runny and not thick. Greatness! I'm not sure how much does it actually costs cuz it was a present (thank you Igor!! :* <3) but due to a lot of window shopping of O.P.I. I'm almost sure, here in Zagreb, it is somewhere around 12-15$ (70-90kn). I guess it depends on collection. 

It stays on for three days without any chipping or losing its shine without any base. I would dare to say that it would stay like that for five days if I took the time to buff, base my nails and finish it with a top coat of some kind ore made an effort to wear latex gloves when I wash dishes. But I don't. And I was wrong to think there is no difference between cheaper and more expensive nail polishes. Only thing I don't like about this product. (I actually ADORE mine because it was a wonderful gift from my favorite person in the world) is that I think that paying 15$ for nail polish is quite a rip-off. 

I know you can buy O.P.I. nail polishes in Muller stores in Zagreb, and I'm sure you can find it other perfumeries in Zagreb.

Tell me what are your favorite high end nail polishes. I am really so in love whith this one that I am thinking about saving money and than, instead buying 10 cheaper chippy chip ones, invest in only a few of higher quality. What do you think? Tell me, tell me... :)

p.s. Excuse my over-bitten horrible nails.As I promised I am working on them. Stopped biting them, so this way we can all laugh about it an keep track of my progress. 

Talk to you soon, 

Maria xo 

2013 - Here I go..again

Hello everybody. I was very sloppy with posting here last couple of months but life got in the way of my little blog love. I apologize.
I want to start this new year with my new year resolutions list so I will be able to come here and remind myself about promises that I made to myself. And to encourage myself to stick with them.. So here it is:

2013 LIST

1.Lets start with an "easy" one.I decided to STOP BITTING MY NAILS. I actually have quite ok looking hands and nails,when not bitten to grotesque bloody mess. It is ugly,expensive (because I am a huge lover of long nails so I get gel nails now and then,when there is money to be spent),and it HURTS like hell (I don't stop till it bleeds,ok?! I have a problem,I know)



2. WRITE AT LEAST TWO BLOGS PER WEEK. I love this blogging thingy. It helps me with getting some steam out when Im angry, sharing excitement about sth when there is some,getting things straight with myself and the world. I have to get a bit more ORGANIZED,write down ideas and topics I want to talk about so I don't forget anything,like an elephant! :)



3. This is a real doozy: I have to STUDY MORE, a lot more. Nothing much to explain here,I have to step up my college game and make a real grownup out of me.



4. MOISTURIZE. How do I neglect my dry dehydrated thirsty skin it is beyond me! I am going to make my chore to butter up at least once a day! So you should expect alot of moisturizer reviews



5. This one is the hardest: I will try to be BRAVE ENOUGH to be HONEST, honest with myself,honest with others, tell what I feel when I feel it.



6. I would love to get to know some people through my blog. I would love to have 5 FRIENDS that follow my blog and that I meet here at the end of 2013.

7. Last one. I have to read at least 20 non college related BOOKS during 2013. I actually love this resolution! <3

So that is it. My first blog of the rest of my life. Welcome to 2013! I wish you all the best during this year. May it be 2013 times better than the last one. May it be filled with health, love and happiness. Lets rock the house. I would love to know about your resolutions for 2013 and if you have any suggestions to help me stick to mine. Have a good one!
Maria xo