When all else fails, drive.

Last night I got about one hour of true beauty sleep because my angel was having a little bit of insomnia. Tonight, I was determined that this would not happen again. I set forth to achieve a Perfect Baby Schedule. I gave him a wonderful dinner of homemade baby food (sweet potatoes with greek yogurt, freshly steamed organic carrots and mashed avocado), then it was all about Baby: bath, bottle, bedtime stories and lullabies. Nothing. Still wide awake and babbling away.

I walked around the block at dusk, hoping to lure him into slumber with the steady rocking of his Rolls Royce, I mean Uppa, baby carriage. To no avail. Back to the rocking chair. More books, songs and nursing until my nipples are raw. He just won't sleep.

Then I remembered the oldest trick in the book. Put him in the car seat and drive around until he falls asleep. It was pure magic. Fifteen minutes later and the beautiful sounds of snoring filled my Tiguan. Hooray!! and why hadn't I tried this trick before?

Beauty Sleep for the Sleepless

When I became a mother I thought it would instantly turn me into a morning person. My tendency to stay up past midnight would shrivel away and I would wake up with the sun, fresh as a daisy ready to care for my darling infant. Not the case. I still stay up way past my bedtime and I can't seem to follow the timeless advice of "sleep when he sleeps". I curse myself when he wakes just as I am about to turn off the lights and fall into dreamland. I dread the 5 am cry of hunger and I have not turned into an early bird by some happy coincidence. That doesn't mean I don't adore my baby and jump up suddenly to take care of his every whim. Of course I do (with a little help from a lot of caffeine). However, I am still 100% night owl.

This was actually one of the biggest surprises of entering motherhood. It goes along with the fact that I just don't feel like a "mom". I received a gift in the mail the other day and I was puzzled as to what the occasion was for such a sweet present. The card read "on your first mother's day..." and I couldn't believe it didn't even occur to me that I was now a "mommy" and would be celebrating this Hallmark day for the rest of my life. My darling son was born in November and it has been a whirlwind of magical moments, firsts and lasts, falling in love with him and the world through his eyes, along with a lot of sleepless nights. 

Roman is at once the most important thing I have ever done, the most beautiful thing I have ever made and the biggest responsibility I have ever taken on. I didn't prepare much for his coming; in fact, he didn't even feel real until he landed in my arms with all of his sweetness and took hold of my life in a way that I didn't even know was possible. That love that every mother talks about regarding her child? It's real, and it does indeed dazzle you the very first second you set your eyes on the marvelous creature that you made. 

I decided I should probably shift my blogging efforts to include my mommy experience; motherhood is, after all, now my new universe. I was struggling with finding the perfect name for a mommy blog when I realized that I already had the name. A couple years ago, I started a product line of organic products and gave it  the tag line "Beauty Sleep for the Sleepless" because I always said that if you were going to stay up all night you damn well better be washing your face and moisturizing with an excellent potion. I truly believe that it does make a difference.  It suddenly dawned on me that I was sleepless now for a whole new reason and the product theory works just the same for mommies as it does for night owls, insomniacs and party people. 

I have been a night owl for as long as I can remember and it was through my late mother's sage advice that I learned to wash my face and slather it with organic creams. Maybe you remember your own mother nagging you to take off your make-up before bed when you were a rebellious teen as I do. I just happened to turn her words of wisdom into a lifestyle, a career and a beauty brand. Thank you, mama. May you be watching me from the heavens above finally relieved that I actually listened when you were talking to me.

I dedicate this blog and the beauty that inspires me to my dear mama Dolores Lolita Martin who passed away ten years ago. Happy Mother's Day to all. I challenge you to really listen to something, anything, that your mama tells you and remember that she really does know best.

I Spy Beauty

My life’s mission is to make people feel Beautiful even if they don’t fit into that cookie cutter category. That’s why I opened the nitespa. It’s a special little place that makes everyone feel welcome and pampered. We have tricks and tools to make people pretty like skin care regimens and advice for living a healthy spa lifestyle. We clean up your toes and polish your fingers, pop your zits, iron out all the kinks and remove superfluous hair. I not only sell products that actually improve your skin and are good for the environment, I sell beauty.

It’s the way we perform these basic services that makes us extraordinary. With a sweetness and a care that is rare in Los Angeles. We make people feel at home. We lend an ear to the lovelorn, the curious, the newbies and the enthusiasts. We go the extra mile to truly create an experience.

I wanted to start a blog to share all the experiences and tips that I come across daily and I am afraid that my daily life got in the way and I felt uninspired to write. But I am determined to change my ways and commit to to telling these tales.

And I suddenly had an inspiration for a new blog name: Beauty is not a Secret. Perhaps just the act of describing the blog properly will propel me into writing it.

Swingin' bridges!

Here is proof that those bridges were scary! Zach felt exhilarated, but I was uneasy and made very careful steps. He is pointing out the beauty of the rainforest. I am walking on eggshells. A breathtaking wonder! Oh, and there is one of the marvelous swimming holes I was talking about. Zach took a cool plunge in that one.

Here are a couple snapshots. This is me on one of our walks from the Maui Sunset to Charley Young Beach.

And a couple fun pics from the rafting trip. I forgot to mention that the rafts take you through these amazing caves that you would not be able to see any other way. It was truly magical!

How to have a fancy island vacation on a budget (and drink like a fish)

First of all, it's all about miles! I saved my reward point miles until I had just enough for a round trip to my favorite island: Maui. And we found a great deal for our second ticket. So, my darling boyfriend Zach and I planned our annual visit to see his papa Duane and stepmom Diane in Kihei. The only issue was we wanted to go for a week, but the miles wouldn't allow just a week. We head to book for nine days in order to get the deal. So now we had to find ways to save money all around to make the extra days affordable. Here are some of my secrets!

I searched craigslist w/ my travel dates religiously and finally stumbled upon a time share condo for the EXACT nine days that we were going to be in Maui for $1000 including all tax and resort fees and everything, including a very late checkout. In Kihei, no less, and only blocks from Zach's family. Luck? Perhaps, or maybe I willed it to be. I really wanted to find a condo for about about $100 a night and I think my visualization worked.

The Maui Sunset has a pool, hot tub, outdoor grills and gorgeous grounds (see photo above) Our condo even had a peekaboo ocean view from our small lanai. We had a great kitchen and laundry right in the space. Another budget friendly bonus? Free ocean front yoga on the lawn in the morning!

The beach was not a swimming beach, but we enjoyed several walks on the ocean and a few cafes, bars & markets within walking distance. It was gorgeous at sunrise and sunset. The pool was simple, but perfect. I spent a lot of time out there reading and working on the suntan (with plenty of nitespa organics sunscreen, of course).

Cooking and activities were in order. We planned an itinerary that included lots of fun ocean time and how to make the most of our vacation without spending a fortune.

We immediately went shopping at my favorite health food store Hawaiian Moons for gorgeous local produce and healthy snacks and then hit up the Supermarket Times (best name ever for a grocery store in Hawaii!) for rum and mixers. We had brought a couple bottles of nice wine from our collection at home, so we were set. We bought fish from the delicious and fresh Eskimo Candy and Zach grilled it up that very night on our massive lawn. We saved tons of money by grilling and eating at "home" half the time and we found plenty of happy hours the rest of the time.

These are some of the highlights from our trip:

- Took a high speed raft to do some snorkeling and whale watching from Blue Water Rafting adventures. This one was a bit of a splurge, but so worth it. My #1 favorite thing that we did. We asked for our Kama'aina discount (Zach's parents live on the island, but they didn't ask us for id). This was a very exciting day. Left before dawn and our raft captains were super fun and adorable. They played great rock'n'roll tunes and served a decent lunch. It's a really fast boat and you definitely get a thrill. We also got the bonus of close-up whale sightings.

- My favorite beach: Napili Bay (near Kaanapali). Even though this beach gets voted "Best Beach in America" over and over agin, we never find it too crowded. You can park for free at the Napili Kai Resort, BYOB and enjoy an awesome day in the sun and water. Excellent snorkeling. Decent beach showers.

- Free Hula show and torch lighting ceremony at The Four Seasons Lobby Lounge. This was a true find. They have this complimentary hula show EVERY night from 5:30 - 6:30. Yes, we ended up buying a couple expensive cocktails, but they were the very best drinks we had the entire time. With local ingredients like lavender syrup for Zach's drink and the original Mai Tai recipe for mine. The beer is affordable and the hula dancers were off the hook. They also serve you yummy complimentary bar snacks (marinated olives and a delicious fancy nut mix).

- Happy Hour at Tommy Bahamas. This place is in Wailea and very lively. Great drinks; they have bar games and decent prices during happy hour. Live music on the patio. Call to find out the HH times because they change it up. We poked our heads into Tiffany at the Grand Wailea shops after TB and they gave us free champagne. Drinking and shopping, together at last!

- Pool crashing. I can't help myself. I have to do it at least once every trip. The Wailea hotels are easy to crash if you're a couple. We aways buy a drink (in cash) and never stay too long. Discretion is key! We've been to the Four Seasons, The Fairmont and The Grand Wailea (which has a swim-up bar in a grotto). Even though we had our own pool this time I couldn't resist the draw of poolside drinks and evian mist w/ a quick dip and Jacuzzi at The Four Seasons. They make the best pina colada too! The view is exquisite.

- Ocean kayaking. Now that was an adventure. Neither of us had been kayaking before. And we didn't exactly get a lot of instruction w/ our little 5 kayak tour. The guide was quite gruff. He gave us a little 2 minute intro and with a push we were off into open ocean. Poor Zach had to do most of the paddling on our 2 person kayak for the first half. We paddled for about 20 minutes when the guide shouted, "I see a pod of whales! Follow me!" We got to about 30 yards away from 5 whales. It was equally the most terrifying and exhilarating experience. I shrieked a lot. And I finally got the hang of the strokes after I calmed down from all the whale sightings. Oh, PS, they take you to some secret snorkeling spots too. Highly recommend kayaking during whale season. Just maybe don't choose South Pacific Kayaks unless you are experienced. On the budget tip: we found a coupon for 25% off in our car rental guide.

- Speaking of car rentals. Got a great deal by using a discount website to find our car rental. It was a basic Alamo car; we got it for $160 for 9 days, a lot less than the $800- $1200.00 quotes we got when calling all the rental companies directly. Not a scam. This really worked. And we got to use the money we saved to go on our super fantastic activity tours. Yay.

- Booze cruise. I love boats. Being on the ocean on a catamaran makes me feel glamorous. Especially when they serve up the 'Aloha' in the form of bottomless Mai Tais and complimentary pupu's. And there are endless whale sightings to be had. Seeing a whale when you are tipsy is quite a bit more exciting. I don't know why, but the crisp ocean air mixed with a little rum and sun and a giant whale shows off in front of you, well, I just turn into a little girl and get all giddy. Maybe it was the Barbie dream boat I had when I was young, or the fact that I never took island vacations w/ my family, but I seriously love the entire experience. Last year, we went on The Pacific Whale Foundation's sunset cruise and I was hooked. This time we tried The Pride of Maui, just to mix it up a bit. A local had recommended it because they don't give you the customary three-drink-ticket limit. It's just an open bar; have as much as you want, including great local beer on tap. The food is actually pretty good and plentiful. They grilled up some mean ribs and chicken right on the back of the boat. Lots of veggies and fruit too.

Our trip wasn't all about drinking, I promise. We tried to get in at least one good activity each day. Plus a little pool and beach time every day (both free!) Zach was also good abut buying some great books on Amazon before we left including one about all the wonderful secret hikes you can discover.

- - We tried the swinging suspension bridge hike in Waihee Valley. You have to purchase a permit at the entrance (where they also sell snacks and things). I think it was about $5 each. Totally worth it. Very thrilling. I found the bridges to be like a real live Tom Sawyer's island. A little scary and seemingly dangerous, but actually quite safe. Go early. We hardly saw a soul on the way in, but it started to pick up as we were leaving. You hike through a rainforest to get to a waterfall. Come prepared with a poncho as I started to get soaked. Bring your bathing suit for a swim in the great swimming holes you will see along the way. Bring sunscreen, trail mix and Deet. My natural repellant did not do the trick and I had horrible bites. It was a fun way to start the day and we had plenty of time to hit up Paia and a beach to watch the surfers on the way back to Kihei.

- Snorkeling. Another free activity that you can do on most beaches. We love the Wailea beaches and Black Rock for the most colorful fish and easy access. Last time when we were in Kanaapali, a beautiful girl was dressed as a mermaid and doing an underwater photo shoot. Stunning. Along with the real marine life!

- Beach picnic. Another Maui favorite is Secret Cove. This is easily the most special beach on Maui. For some reason, even though it's tiny, it's never that crowded. We saw a couple renewing their vows there when we went this time. The waves are spectacular and it's gorgeous to stare at the water from your own personal private beach. The best taco stand is on the road right above the beach. You can park right there easily. We order the smoked fish and the very best coconut rice w/ fresh mango from Makena Grill and walk down have a little romantic lunch on the beach. Very tasty! Don't miss the coconut candy-- highly addictive.

- Some more of the happy hours and bar meals we recommend:

Three's Bar and grill in Kihei. Super delicious and sustainable yumminess. The owner gave us free oyster shots. Great poke. I think we had a coupon from one of those free guides that are all over town, but they have a HH as well.

Zach and I rarely get a table when we go out to eat. We prefer the coziness of sitting at the bar. Less pressure to order a dinner. We like to share stuff to get more "tastes" and you usually get better service. This was true for the famous and spendy Mama's Fish House. We were able to snag seats at the bar immediately and shared some apps and enjoyed a couple excellent cocktails. Got out of their for about sixty bucks for both of us. A steal compared to the time a few years ago when we dropped $600 for a dinner for four.

- Maui Brewing Company. We love Coconut Porters and Bikini Blondes, so a stop at this pub was a must for us. Don't bother paying for the beer tasting as they will let you taste any of the beers for free. Just ask for each one individually. We also got the sliders which the waitress turned us onto as the best deal on the menu. Sweet!

I will post some photos and more tips as I think of them. Thanks for tuning in to my Maui itinerary for some Aloha time for lushes!

Maui Sunset

I took a little vacation from blogging. To the island of Maui. Maui has become our yearly destination trip. We have the good fortune of having family that lives in Kihei, so we have to go once a year without fail, sometimes twice. I know. Darn. When I met my darling boyfriend Zach (almost 4 years ago) his dad had just moved to Hawaii and he was planning a trip there. Wanna go? he asked. I jumped at the chance. What a romantic way to jump start a relationship. Anyway, here we are years later and we are still falling in love with each other and the island. A perpetual honeymoon.

I had planned on blogging while there this time, but we were having too much of a good time between ocean activities and Mai Tais. I thought by the 7th time visiting this island I would have wanted to just sit and chill and write. But I discovered the charm and magic of Maui is endless and I didn't want to waste a moment of 'island time'.

So, now I have lots to catch up on and I want to share how we did "Maui on a budget" and all of our secret places. Stay tuned for our fabulous itinerary!