A Tasty Homemade Drink

Summer has officially arrived in southern California! Unfortunately, we're in autumn now. We've had temps up in the 110° range! It's crazy and *HOT*! One day would be dry and hot, and the next, muggy and humid. Yuck. Things are supposed to cool off soon, and I can't wait. I love it when temps are in the 70s to low 80s. Well, with the temps being what they were, I still needed my coffee. I think I may be addicted. Uh-Oh. I've been trying to limit myself to no more than 3-4 cups a week. Anywho, with it being so hot, I could not drink hot coffee, so I decided to try a cold frappe. I LOVE these things. Yum. My favorite, at the moment, is from Starbucks. It's called a Toffee Mocha Frappuccino. I also love the ones from McDonald's. Mmm, mmm. So I needed to make something similar, and I found a bunch of recipes on the web. I decided to make a caramel frappe, and it was mighty tasty. Pretty close to the original, but definitely not the same. And budget friendly. I used the following recipe I found here...

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cold coffee (I used hazelnut)
• 3 tbsp sugar (granulated)
• 1/2 cup milk (2%)
• 3 tbsp flavored sundae syrup (I used caramel, but you can use anyone you'd like)
• 2 cups of ice ( I used 1.5)
• whipped cream for garnish (didn't have any)
• syrup for garnish

Combine all of the above ingredients, except for whipped cream, in a blender. Blend, and serve with whipped topping and flavored syrup.

I served my iced frappe up in my Magic Bullet cup. Yeah, I don't cook so no need for a real blender. My Magic Bullet is perfect!

{Craft Time} Faux Necklace Onesies

These things are all the rage right now. I've seen them at Forever 21, Target, and all over the net. They are faux necklace shirts. You can find them either screen printed or painted on. I found a couple of tutorials, and I decided to make some for Isabella. I already had everything I needed on hand. Each onesie took less than 10 minutes to make, and forever to dry. I've washed them once already and they've held up nicely. So, I decided to take it a step further and make some faux necklace bibs. I love 'em! I decided to make some to sell in my Etsy shop. Each bib is made of 100% cotton, and adorned with a cute little bow. They're perfect for baby girls and as a shower gift! You can check out my shop, The Ladybug's Leaf, in the column to the right!

Isabella's 2 Months Old

We had Isabella's wellness check-up exactly on her 2 month birthday! And looking at her stats, BOY! Is she big! Drum roll, please! She is 23.5 inches tall and is weighing in at 13 pounds ( I believe she's carrying 5lbs in each cheek! LOL!)! Both #s are in the 90th percentile, and head circumference is just above the 50th percentile. She's my chunky little ladybug. Am I surprised? No. I could practically see her growing before my eyes. She had a major growth spurt last week. She was eating constantly. She's mellowed out much more this week. She's not as whiny as she once was, and she loves to talk. She likes to have conversations, more so with girls than with boys. She had 6 vax at her appt, 3 shots. It was sooo heart breaking. I almost cried with her, but once she had her binky, she settled down and went to sleep. And she slept for a looong time, but when she woke up that's when the flood gates opened. Every time she moved her legs, or we touched them, she would cry. Poor baby :0( And now that she's had her first round of vax, we will be getting her ears pierced.

And an update on her Baptism dress - it will be here early! It has shipped! Yay! I was so happy. I even called them to confirm and they said that they got a new shipment in already. Such a relief!

Party Planning Mode

It's official! I'm in full out party planning mode. It's only been a month since my last party, and I'm at it again. This time I'm planning Isabella's Baptism. And it's already starting off a little bumpy. So I equate finding the right baptism dress with finding the right wedding dress. When you find the one, you know immediately that it's the one. Well, if you don't know by now, I have a very bad habit of procrastinating. And I thought I'd learned my lesson to do things early, but I guess not. Last week, I found Isabella's baptism dress, after looking at a ton of them. It was exactly what I was looking for: pretty, soft, sweet. A future heirloom...I hope. I LOVED it. See that? Past tense. Yeah, loved. But fret not. Anyway, I go to order it this last weekend, and it's NO LONGER ON THE SITE! What?! NO! I was bummed. All I thought was, great, I have to find another dress, but it'll never be perfect. So, I decided to call Monday morning to see what was up.

Apparently, they are trying to catch up with their orders on the dress, and will have more in 2 weeks! Yay! So, I jumped on it and pre-ordered her dress. Here's to hoping we get it in time. Did I mention her Baptism is a month from now? Well, it is, and it's just enough time to plan a prefect little celebration!

Coming Soon! CSN Review

With the holidays just around the corner, I've started to think about gifts. I know, it's not even October yet! But it's never too early to start holiday shopping, and one great place to start is at the CSN Stores. With over 200+ stores you can't go wrong. They have everything from a platform bed to shoes to ride-on toys. Yes, toys! And I'll have the opportunity to pick an item and review it. Momma's thought about getting some shoes for herself, or for the kiddos, or how about a new rug for our abode?! I've got my eye on a few things, but with sooo many choices, it's hard to pick!

CSN Stores also offers several international stores, so go check 'em out! Start your holiday shopping now! And keep an eye out for my review!

Costumes?

It's that time of year! Halloween is just around the corner! And, as per usual, I've already bought Jacob and Isabella's costumes. I was already thinking of, and looking for, Isabella's costume before she was even born. Should I be embarrassed? I'm not. I'm a planner. Any who, I've come to realize that this will be the last year I can pick a costume for Jacob. I was super close to letting him be one of his favorite characters, but I decided to be selfish, and relish in my little boy still being, well...little. This year Jacob is going to be a dragon. I'm warning you, I can still change my mind since Halloween is a month and a half away. Same thing for Isabella, kind of. Isabella's going to be a flower. I've been wanting this costume for months. Unfortunately, it's too big. Like HUGE! BUT! I bought it anyway. And I'm hoping some heavy alterations will make it fit, and the luck of knowing a professional seamstress. Ugh, here's hoping they actually wear these costumes, and that I don't change my mind. The one downside of buying costumes early!

Tummy Time for Isabella...

or Jacob? Is tummy time really for Isabella, or Jacob? We've been doing TT for awhile now, and Isabella only lasts minutes before she starts whining, not crying, just whining. It really keeps her entertained, when she's not on her tummy, and sometimes it down right wears her out. But the one who really loves TT is Jacob. Yes, Jacob. He asks to bring out the mat and says, Play baby. And every once in awhile you'll catch him dancing to the cheesy music playing on the mat. But his oh so favorite thing to do is lay on the mat with his sister. No, he can't really fit under it. He bumps his head every time, but he's fascinated by this toy. I swear, more so than his regular toys. Why is that? Why are kids always fascinated by something that belongs to someone else? I've noticed this a lot lately, not only with Jacob but other kids, hmmm and some adults. So, every time I set out the TT mat, Jacob lets out an excited gasp, it's tummy time. Oh, and there have been a few occasions where he has pitched a fit because Isabella's over TT and it's time to put it away. But I absolutely love that as soon as I put her on the mat, he has to join her!

DIY Flower Headband

I *heart* big flower headbands on little girls! I've been wanting to make some for the last couple of months, and well, nothing like a special occasion to move me along. I needed a hot pink hair accessory to match Isabella's dress she was going to wear to a wedding. The night before I was brain storming, and I was looking though old drawers, when I found the most perfect flower pin! I was so excited! Here's what I did...

I used two flowers, I wanted it to be full, and took them apart. I got rid of the little plastic parts, and made sure I stacked the layers exactly the same way I took them off. I then glued each layer of the flower back together with hot glue. And to finish it off, I found a big, hot pink gem to cover the center, where the plastic used to be. For the headband, I used an old one of my own. I cut it to be 13" long, and around 6.5" when folded in half, to fit her tiny head. I hot glued the ends together, and gave it a little stretch test to check the hold. Finally, I glued the flower on, right where I glued the two ends together. Easy and cheap! I'm going to make more!

STTN

Heck yes! Isabella has been sleeping through the night, and I don't mean 5-6 hours, try 8-10 hours! It's awesome! Actually, she's been a good night sleeper since she was a week old sleeping the 5-6 hours a night, but as she's getting bigger she's eating more throughout the day, so mommy can sleep at night. Thanks, baby girl! And I've been trying to get her used to her crib. I try putting her in for naps, and so far she seems to like it. I think it's because it's firmer than her PnP. But naps are rare. She cat naps 10-15 minutes here and there, and mostly in someone's arms. Oh, you better believe I don't walk around with her attached to me. I would go nuts, instead I plant her in her bouncy chair. She's finally used to it, and actually likes it. So does Jacob, he has to touch it every time she's in there. And there have been a few occasions where he's sent her on a really bouncy trip. Poor baby. but I'm so happy I get decent sleep! Although I do have to admit, I get up in the middle of the night every few hours to check if she's okay. What can I say, I'm a spaz about sleep!

And I have to mention, because it's so cute, a collection of lullabies by Rockabye Baby! Some of my favorite artisits include Cold Play, The Cure, The Bealtes, and No Doubt, but there are quite a few more artsists! Some of their top songs were made into lullabies. And when she naps, I play them for Isabella. Love it!

Craft-O-Maniac Monday!

I'm linking up to Craft-o-maniac for Craft-o-maniac Monday! I've linked up my baby sprinkle and the coasters I made for Christmas gifts. Check it out!

Reality TV Junkie...

I've noticed, that ever since Ugly Betty ended, I am a reality TV junkie. ALL I watch is reality TV. These are the shows that are on my DVR year round. But then there are my absolute FAVORITES. Some of my shows include:

- Kourtney & Khloe take MIA
- Keeping Up w/ the Kardashians
- Kendra
- Bethenny Getting Married?
- The Real Housewives of OC
- The Little Couple
- Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood
- Giuliana & Bill
- 16 & Pregnant
- Kate Plus 8
- Ghost Hunters/GHI
- Destination Truth

My FAVORITES:



The Real Housewives of NJ (RHONJ). I looove this show! It's just a train wreck I cannot turn away from. These women are nuts, some more than others. Ahem, Danielle?! She's a walking contradiction. Everything that comes out of her mouth contradicts her actions. However, I *heart* Theresa, Jacqueline, and Caroline. Theresa is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode w/ her nasty temper. Jacqueline is just a puppet, and Caroline is like the mafia mother I've never had. And their poor kids! I would hate to have to deal w/ their mother's drama, like Danielle's girls and their mom's sex tape. Hello?! She claims to share everything with them...I wonder if she shared that little nugget w/ them?? But alas, I cannot get enough, and I'll be sad when the reunion shows are over. But you better believe I'll be watching the next season.



Teen Mom, oy. This show is just devastating to watch. My "favorite" couple to watch is Amber & Gary. They're so dysfunctional and yet, they want to spend the rest of their lives together. Oh, and can someone tell me how Amber lost all of that weight?! I heard it was from karate classes/gym, and here I thought she didn't have her GED. She must have squeezed it in somewhere with the gym, right? Uh, no! Apparently she still does not have her GED. Hmmm. Gary run! I used to dislike Farrah, but this season it's evident why she's so jacked up. Her baby daddy died not knowing he had a daughter, and she thought he was The One. Oh, and the little situation between Farrah and her mom, WOW! While I don't agree with how she treats her parents, I do see where she's coming from now. Maci is just boring with her Bentley (<---do you think that's wishful thinking?), although it's crazy she's already dealing w/ child support as a teen. And finally, Caitlin and Tyler. I had wished they'd stay together and tough it out. But then I came back to reality and realized that they are kids who gave up their baby for adoption, and the chances of them making it weren't exactly high. I wish each and everyone of them the very best.




And last, but certainly not least, Jersey Shore, baby! This show is ahhhmazing! Are these people for real? Guidos and guidettes? First of all, I had no idea The Situation was only in his 20s! I thought he was in his 30s! But Pauly, he's my favorite. He's a cutie minus the hair, yuck. And Vinny seems like a sweetheart. Speaking of the sweetheart, Sammi needs to get real. Why would you share a house with your ex-boyfriend/boyfriend/ex-boyfriend... I don't know if they're together or not. And Ronnie is just Nasssty <---with a capital N! Hooking up w/ girls in the club and then going home to Sammi...Puke! And hello, to Angelina from Staten Island! Can you say, troublemaker who missed out on her 15 minutes last season. Now she's looking for it this season. Ugh, go home...again. My faves of the girls, Snooki! She's like the little engine that could. She's actually funny, but such a ditz. And Jwow is okay, I say this cause I wouldn't want her to come kick my *ss. This season just started a few weeks ago and I can see the mad drama. GTL!